LIBRARY 

KBUVERSn  Y  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


BLUNT'S    PROLIFIC. 


On  Ensilage 

OF   GREEN  FORAGE    CROPS 
In  Silos. 


EXPERIENCE  WITH  ENSILAGE  AT  ECHO  DALE  FARM; 

ALSO  THE  PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE  OF 

Twenty-five  Practical  Farmers 

WITH  ENSILAGE  AND  SILOS, 

Giving  their  experience  of  feeding  stock  of  all  kinds  with  Ensilage,  and 

the  practical  results,  conclusively  showing  the  undoubted  success  of 

this  process,  —  the  Ensilage  of  green  forage  crops.      By  this 

process  the  farmer  can  realize  five  dollars  in  place  of  one 

dollar  as  practised  by  the  old  system  of  farming. 

Also  wonderful  experiments  of  feeding  poultry, 

at  one-half  the  usual  cost,  on  Ensilage. 

By 

H.    R.    STEVENS, 

Proprietor  of  "  Echo  Dale  Farm"  Dover,  Mass. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AUTHOR. 
1881. 


COPYRIGHT,  1881, 
BY  HENRY  R.   STEVENS. 


Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  Rand,  A-very,  <5r»  Co. 
II-]  Franklin  Street,  Boston. 


TO 

PROFESSOR     J.    M.    M^BRYDE, 

AND  MY  OTHER   CORRESPONDENTS, 

WHO   HAVE    KINDLY   AIDED    ME    IN   THIS    WORK    BY   THEIR    PRACTICAL 

EXPERIENCE,    I    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATE 

THIS    BOOK. 


INTRODUCTION. 


IN  placing  a  publication  of  this  kind  upon  the  subject  of  ensilage, 
I  do  not  claim  to  have  invented  or  made  any  improvements  upon  the 
original  practical  experience  as  perfected,  after  years  of  many  expe- 
riments, by  M.  Auguste  Goffart  of  France.  To  him  alone  belongs 
the  honor.  In  my  opinion  the  dawn  of  day  is  upon  us,  and  the  sun- 
shine will  spread  its  golden  rays  upon  the  farmer  on  the  practical 
workings  of  preserving  our  green  crops  by  ensilage. 

Mr.  J.  B.  Brown  of  New  York  translated  the  publication  upon  the 
subject  of  ensilage,  by  M.  Auguste  Goffart.  I  obtained  this  book 
from  the  first,  read  it  carefully  and  thoroughly.  I  then  resolved  to 
build  a  silo,  and  try  the  experiment.  As  the  surrounding  farmers 
said,  after  they  learned  what  I  was  going  to  do,  "  You  can  afford  to 
lose  it  if  it  does  not  work  well,  and  I  don't  believe  it  will."  With 
their  consolation  I  did  try  it,  built  an  experimental  silo  capable  of 
holding  forty  tons,  filled  it  with  green-corn  fodder,  and  it  proved  a 
complete  success. 

And  yet  many  farmers  say  to-day,  "  I  do  not  believe  it  will  work 
half  of  the  time."  I  then  thought  they  needed  some  practical  expe- 
rience from  a  number  of  practical  farmers.  I  concluded  I  would 
publish  a  work  upon  the  subject  of  ensilage,  giving  the  practical 
experience  of  practical  farmers  as  well  as  my  own.  I  made  arrange- 
ments to  find  out  the  practical  farmers  who  had  the  courage  to  enter 
into  this  comparatively  new  enterprise.  I  have  either  visited  or  cor- 
responded with  thirty-seven  different  parties,  mostly  farmers,  who 
8 


INTRODUCTION. 

have  built  silos,  and  filled  or  partly  filled  the  same  with  ensilage ; 
and,  when  you  have  read  the  practical  experience  of  these  men,  you 
cannot  doubt  of  the  perfect  success  of  preserving  our  green  crops  by 
ensilage  ;  and,  when  you  can  earn  two  dollars  at  half  the  expense 
that  you  before  earned  one  dollar,  you  will  believe  and  practise  it 
after  you  have  read  this  book  carefully,  and  you  will  build  a  silo, 
and  meet  with  the  same  success  as  my  correspondents  have.  You 
will  then  be  as  enthusiastic  upon  the  practical  workings  of  ensilage 
as  they  are  to-day  ;  and  to  the  farmer  of  New  England  it  will  add 
millions,  and  may  well  be  called  a  revolution  in  farming. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT  MAKES  THE  FARMER  HAPPY? 

PAGE 

Advantages  of  ensilage. —The  farmer  can  earn  two  dollars  at  half  the  ex- 
pense he  before  earned  one  dollar.  —  Great  advantages  to  the  farmer  and 
his  stock  in  the  winter.  — Milk  of  December  equal  to  milk  in  June;  rich 
butter  and  fine  flavor  in  winter.  —  Condition  and  health  of  cattle. — 
Advantage  of  ensilage  in  all  weathers 18 

CHAPTER  II. 
"SILO,"  "ENSILAGE,"  DEFINED. 

Description  and  definition  of  "silo."—  "  Ensilage."  —Origin  of  the  word 

"silo."— The  term  "ensilage"  applied  by  the  French        ....      19 

CHAPTER    III. 

CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   J.  M.  M^BRYDE. — TREATISE  ON  ORIGIN  AND 
PROCESS   OF   ENSILAGE. 

Origin  of  ensilage. — "What  G  off  art  claims  to  have  developed  or  discovered. 

—  Process  described  before   Goffart   began  his  experiments.  —  Ensilage 
was   tried   successfully;  facts   and   particulars  given.  —  An  old  process 
revived.  —  This  system  is  no  longer  an  experiment,  but  a  perfect  success. 

—  What  it  promises  to  do  for  agriculture 20 

CHAPTER  IV. 

LOCATION  OF  SILOS. 

Locations,  convenience,  saving  of  labor,  and  feeding  of  stock.  —  Description 
of  different  locations.  —  Advantage  of  some  locations  over  others.  — 
Other  descriptions  of  silos.  —  Facts  in  regard  to  best  preservation  of 
ensilage 23 

CHAPTER  V. 

BUILDING   OF   SILOS   OF  D1FERENT   SIZES   AND  FORMS,  GIVING 
CAPACITY   AND   CONTENTS   OF    SAME. 

Material  most  suitable  for  building  silos.  —  Construction  of  silos  in  the 
earth  by  digging  trenches.  —  Various  experiments  of  different  forms  and 
kinds;  most  successful  one  given.  —  Diagram  and  description  of  silo; 
diagram  of  silo  with  two  compartments,  full  description  given.  —  Sizes 
of  silo;  capacity,  and  number  of  stock  it  will  feed.  —  Full  description 
given  how  to  build  silos  ;  diagram  for  the  foundation  ;  also  diagram 
showing  how  to  build  walls.  —  Showing  quantities  and  proportions  of 
cement,  lime,  gravel,  stone  ;  giving  full  particulars,  so  that  any  farmer 
can  build  a  silo.  —  Description  of  other  silos  already  built ;  diagrams 

given.  —  Sectional  silos 25 

10 


CONTENTS.  11 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MY    PRACTICAL    EXPERIENCE    AT    ECHO    DALE    FARM   WITH   ENSILAGE 

AND   SILOS. 

PAGE 

Why  I  built  a  silo.  —  Ensilaging  of  rye  and  grass.  —  Filling  a  silo.  —  Kind  of 
corn,  and  quantity  per  acre  planted.  —  Building  of  silo,  location  of  silo, 
dimensions  and  capacity.  —  Material  used.  —  First  time  the  farmer  fills 
a  silo. —  Kind  of  fodder-cutter  and  power  used. — Description  of  start- 
ing with  horse-power.  —  Number  of  men,  and  how  employed  in  filling 
silo.  —  Quantity  cut  per  day  for  ensilage.  —  Full  description  of  filling  and 
covering  ensilage  in  silo.  —  Best  time  to  cut  corn-fodder  for  ensilage. — 
Chemical  changes  of  ensilage.  —  Opening  of  silo,  and  condition  of  ensi- 
lage. —  Changes  of  ensilage  after  taken  from  silo.  —  Feeding  cattle  with 
ensilage.  —  Condition  of  stock  fed  on  ensilage.  —  Increase  of  milk. — 
Quality  and  flavor  of  butter.  —  Daily  rations  of  cattle.  —  Preparing  of 
ground  for  second  crop.  —  Building  of  more  silos 31 

CHAPTER  VII. 

FILLING  THE   SILO. 

Kind  of  power  required.  —  Best  machine  for  cutting  fodder.  —  Price  of  engine 
and  boiler;  price  of  fodder-cutter.  —  Best  way  for  farmers  who  cut  no 
more  than  a  hundred  to  two  hundred  tons,  showing  how  to  have  fodder 
cut  and  not  invest  money  for  power  in  full.  —  Full  description  of  filling 
silos  given.  —  When  fodder  should  be  cut;  most  suitable  lengths.  —  The 
great  number  of  parties  corresponded  with,  showing  in  every  case  a  per- 
fect success  of  the  workings  of  silos  and  ensilage 36 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE  FROM  J.  J.  H.  GREGORY. 

His  opinion  of  ensilage.  —  Kind  of  corn  he  recommends  to  plant  for  ensilage; 
his  reasons  for  it;  best  way  of  planting  and  working  corn.  —  Weight  of 
stalks  that  he  has  grown.  —  Number  of  tons  to  the  acre.  —  Advantages 
of  this  process  given 38 

CHAPTER  IX. 

CORRESPONDENCE  FROM  GEORGE  L.  CLEMENCE. 

Planting  corn;  time  to  plant;  kind  of  corn. — Winter  rye  for  ensilage. — 
Product  per  acre  of  corn-fodder.  —  Cost  per  acre.  —  Machine  used  for 
cutting;  power  used;  length  to  cut.  —  Construction  of  silo;  material  for 
building  silos.  —  Description  of  filling  silos.  —  Cost  per  ton  for  ensilage 
from  seed  to  packing  in  silos.  —  Mixture  of  rowen  with,  corn-fodder  in 
silo.  —  Opening  of  silo,  and  condition  of  the  contents.  —  Feeding  of 
stock,  and  the  results;  quantity,  and  how  often  fed.  —  Effect  of  ensilage 
upon  milk  and  butter.  —  Quantity  of  ensilage  to  keep  a  cow  six  months. 

—  Experiments  in  feeding  stock.  —  Appearance  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage. 

—  Feeding  of  English  hay  and  ensilage  compared.  —  Great  advantages 

by  ensilage 39 

CHAPTER  X. 

CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   B.    AUSTIN   AVERY. 

Planting  corn,  kind  to  plant.  —  Cost  per  acre.  —  Average  yield  per  acre. — 
Kind  of  cutter  and  power  used:  length  to  cut. — Building  of  silo;  size, 
cost,  and  location.  —  Cutting  and  packing  in  the  silo.  —  Cost  per  ton  of 
ensilage  in  silo.  —  Important  suggestions  in  filling  silos.  —  Opening  of 
silo.  —  Quantity,  and  how  fed.  —  One  hundred  head  of  cattle  fed  on  ensi- 
lage; showing  the  effect  on  horses,  calves,  milch  cows,  etc.  —  Fine  appear- 
ance of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage;  increase  of  milk.  —  Feeding  of  turkeys, 


12  H.   P.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


ducks,  chickens,  on  ensilage;  their  fine  condition.  —  Showing  a  gain  of 
three  thousand  dollars  for  six  months  by  keeping  his  stock  on  ensilage, 
over  any  previous  year.  —  Cost  of  labor  in  feeding  with  ensilage  com- 

Eared  with  hay.  —  Success  of  feeding  cattle  entirely  on  ensilage  without 
ay  or  grain.  —  Ensilage  the  year  round 44 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  ADVANTAGE   OF  GREEN   FORAGE   CROPS   BY  ENSILAGE    OVER  THE 
SAME   IN   NATURAL   OR   GREEN   STATE. 

Cost  of  ensilaging  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  by  Goffart;  cost  of  same  by 
others.  — Value  of  ensilage  as  food.  —  Comparative  value  of  ensilage  and 
hay  for  feeding.  —  Practical  facts  in  regard  to  forage  crops  and  ensilage. 

—  Table  of  analysis,  green  fodder-corn  and  ensilage.  —  Chemical  changes; 
advantages  gained  by  this  change.  —  Its  effect  upon  cows  and  sucking 
calves.  —  Mode  of  fattening  cattle  with  ensilage;   quantities  and  kind 
given.  —  Secret  of  the  process,  and  the  advantages 49 

CHAPTER  XII. 

CORRESPONDENCE  FROM  CAPT.  G.  MORTON. 

Kind  of  corn,  and  quantity  planted  per  acre.  —  Kinds  of  phosphate  used. — 
Average  yield  per  acre.  —  Cost  per  acre  of  raising  corn-fodder.  —  Machine 
used  for  cutting,  and  length  to  cut.  —  Construction  of  silo;  best  form  and 
material  to  build  silos. — Experience  with  filling  silos;  mixing  grasses 
with  corn-fodder.  —  Cost  per  ton  of  raising  and  packing  in  silos.  —  Open- 
ing of  silo,  and  appearance  of  ensilage.  —  Mode  of  feeding,  and  results.  — 
Effect  of  ensilage  on  milk  and  butter;  comparative  price  of  butter  sold, 
produced  from  ensilage,  and  price  of  butter  made  from  hay. — Quantity 
of  ensilage  for  each  cow  per  day.  —  Condition  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage.  — 
Value  of  ensilage  compared  with  hay ;  showing  ensilage  to  be  worth  as 
much  as  hay,  ton  for  ton.  —  Experience  of  packing  corn-fodder  whole  in 
trenches;  success  of  same 54 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

CLARK   W.    MILLS' S   CORRESPONDENCE. 

Number  of  acres,  and  kind  of  corn  planted;  method  of  planting.  —  Time  of 
cutting;  length  to  cut.  —  Size  of  silo.  —  Cost  of  raising  and  packing  in 
silo.  —  Condition  of  ensilage  when  taken  from  silo.  —  Comparative  cost 
of  ensilage  with  hay.  —  Appearance  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage.  —  Effect 
of  ensilage  on  the  milk.  —  Six  hundred  tons  of  ensilage  packed  for 
less  than  five  hundred  dollars;  value  of  this  compared  with  hay. — 

—  Showing  great  success  of  ensilage ;  wintering  a  hundred  and  twenty 
head  of  horned  cattle   and  twelve  horses  without  a  pound  of   hay.  — 
Opinions  of  some  of  the  most  distinguished  and  influential  men  in"  the 
State  of  New  York  given.  —  A  revolution  in  dairy-farming,  stock-raising  .      58 


CHAPTER   XIV. 
DR.  L.  w.  CURTIS' s  CORRESPONDENCE. 

Mode  of  preparing  land  for  corn.  —  Planting  and  raising  corn-fodder;  kind 
of  corn  to  plant;  quantity  per  acre.  —  Average  yield  per  acre.  —  Best 
cutting-machine;  length  to  cut.  —  Construction  of  silo;  cost  of  silo;  best 
material  for  building  silo;  most  suitable  location.  —  Experience  with  cut- 
ting and  packing  corn-fodder  ;  with  grasses,  Hungarian  and  rowen.  — 
Opening  of  silo,  and  appearance  of  ensilage.  —  Quantity  of  ensilage  to 
keep  a  cow  six  months.  —  Condition  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage.  —  In  re- 
gard to  the  success  of  ensilage.  —  Valuable  suggestions  given  ...  GO 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER  XV. 

CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   PROFESSOR  J.    M.    M*BRYDE. 

PAGE 

Interest   in    the    subject    of    ensilage,    showing   his    practical    knowledge. 

—  Kind  of   corn  to  plant;    about  imported  seed.  —  Location  of  silos. — 
Descriptions  and  experiments  with  silos  and  ensilage.  —  Kinds  of  stock 
fed,  —  horses,  mules,  cattle,  pigs,  etc.  —  Ensilage  compared  with  hay. — 
Practical  hints  given.  —  Experiments  with  ensilage,  showing  chemical 
changes 64 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

CORRESPONDENCE   OF   F.    E.    LOUD. 

Plan  ting  corn;  kind  of  corn,  and  machine  used  for  planting.  —  Quantity  of 
corn-fodder  raised  per  acre.  —  Machine  and  kind  of  power  used  in  cut- 
ting; length  to  cut.  —  Size  of  silo;  construction  of  silo.  —  Cutting  and 
packing  in  silos.  —  Cost  per  ton  to  raise  and  pack  in  silo.  —  Quantity 
raised.  —  Opening  silo,  and  feeding  ensilage  to  cattle.  —  Cubic  feet  to  a 
ton.  —  Experiments,  and  cost  of  feeding  stock.  —  Feeding  grain  with 
ensilage;  quantity  of  ensilage,  and  kind  of  grain  given.  —  Effect  of  en- 
silage and  hay  upon  milk  and  butter.  —  Appearance  of  cattle  fed  on  ensi- 
lage. —  Cost  of  ensilage  compared  with  hay.  —  Comparative  cost  of  feed- 
ing ensilage  and  hay,  showing  great  gain  and  advantage  in  favor  of 
ensilage 66 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

CORRESPONDENCE   OF   WHITMAN  AND  BURRELL. 

Number  of  acres  planted,  and  quantity  raised. — More  than  one  crop  per 
year  on  same  land.  —  Kind  of  cutter  used.  —  Length  corn-fodder  was  cut. 

—  Location,  size,  and  capacity  of  silos. — Material  for  building  silo. — 
Filling  the  silo.  —  Quantities  and  different  kinds  of  grain  with  ensilage. 

—  Cost  of  raising  corn-fodder  and  filling  the  silo.  —  Opening  of  silo.  — 
Mode  of  feeding  stock,  and  the  results.  —  Number  of  cattle  that  can  be 
kept  the  year  round  on  fifteen  acres  of  land.  —  Comparative  cost  of 
ensilage  with  hay,  and  number  of  tons  of  'ensilage  preserved,  showing 
a  tremendous  margin  or  gain  in  favor  of  ensilage.  —  Great  importance 

of  this  system  shown 67 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE   OF   J.    P.    GOODALE. 

Planting  and  raising  corn-fodder;  kind  of  corn. —Cost  per  acre.  —  Average 
quantity  per  acre.  —  Cutting-machine  and  power  used;  length  to  cut 
corn-fodder.  —  Experience  with  silos.  —  Most  practical  size  and  form  of 
silo;  best  material  for  building  silos.  —  Cutting  and  packing  in  silos.— 
Cost  per  ton  of  raising,  and  packing  in  silos.  —  Opening  of  silo,  and  feed- 
ing to  stock. —  Quantity,  and  how  often  fed. —  Effect  of  ensilage  upon 
the  milk  and  butter.  —  Appearance  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage.  —  Success 
of  ensilage;  giving  profit  or  gain  in  feeding  twenty  head  of  cattle  with 
ensilage  compared  with  feeding  same  with  hay,  showing  a  very  large 
gain  in  favor  of  ensilage 75 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

CORRESPONDENCE    FROM   BUCKLEY   BROTHERS. 

Length  of  corn  cut.  —  Size  of  silos;  filling  silos.  —  Condition,  color,  and  ap- 
pearance of  ensilage  when  taken  from  silos.  —  How  relished  by  cattle.  — 
Cows,  horses,  sheep  —  all  eat  it.  —  Experiments  in  feeding.  —  Great  in- 
crease of  milk  in  quality  and  quantity 79 


14  //.    .R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

PRACTICAL  EXPERIMENTS   WITH   ENSILAGE,    BY   PROFESSOR   M*BRYDE. 

PAGE 

First  experiments;  French  experiments.  —  Description  of  pit,  or  silo,  dug  in 
the  earth;  neither  bricked  nor  cemented.  —  Full  description  of  filling 
and  keeping  ensilage  in  this  pit.  —  On  opening  this  pit,  and  feeding  cattle. 
—  Description  of  silos  built,  and  filling  the  same  with  corn-fodder  and 
clover.  —  Cost  of  filling  silos.  —  Weight  of  ensilage  per  cubic  foot. — 
Weight  of  cubic  foot  of  clover  ensilaged.  —  Description  of  silo. No.  3,  and 
filling  same  with  corn-fodder,  clover,  hay,  straw,  and  German  millet. — 
Results  and  experiments  of  ensilaging  corn  or  grasses  in  the  naked  clay 
or  earth.  —  Description  of  soils;  reasons  why  it  keeps  better.  —  Chemical 
changes  of  ensilage  while  in  silo 81 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

CORRESPONDENCE  FROM  JAMES  S.  CHAFFEE. 

Planting  corn;  kind,  quantity,  and  cost  per  acre.  —  Product  per  acre.  —  Cut- 
ting-machine used.  —  Length  to  cut  corn-fodder.  —  Size  of  silo;  most 
suitable  form  and  size,  and  best  material  to  build  silos.  —  Cost  per  ton 
of  raising,  and  packing  in  silo.  —  Condition  of  ensilage  when  taken  from 
silo;  how  cattle  appeared  when  first  fed.  —  Experience  in  feeding  stock; 
how  often  fed.  —  Quantity  to  keep  a  cow  six  months.  —  General  appear- 
ance of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage.  —  A  test  of  milk  tried,  of  cows  fed  on 
ensilage  and  on  hay.  —  Superior  importance  of  this  subject  over  all  others 
in  farming 86 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   O.    B.    POTTER. 

Number  of  years  Mr.  Potter  has  practised  ensilage. —  Time  to  cut;  length 
to  cut.  —  Size  of  silos;  description  and  diagram  of  sectional  silos.  —  Fill- 
ing of  silos.  — Cutting-machine  and  power  used.  —  Opening  of  silos  and 
condition  of  ensilage.  —  Feeding  ensilage  and  different  grains  and  quan- 
tities to  all  kinds  of  stock.  —  increase  of  milk. —Appearance  of  stock 
fed  on  ensilage. — Feeding  ensilage  compared  with  dry  fodder.  —  Supe- 
rior food.  —  Feeding  of  sheep  on  ensilage.  — Two  crops  per  year  on  same 
land.  —  Success  in  preserving  fodder.  —  Mixing  fodder  in  the  pits.  —  Ensi- 
lage superior  to  soiling 89 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 

CORRESPONDENCE  FROM  JACOB  PUGSLEY. 

Variety  of  corn  to  plant.  —Cost  of  corn-fodder  per  acre.  — Average  yield  per 
acre.  —  Cutter  used;  length  to  cut.  —  Size  of  silo;  best  form  and  size  and 
material  for  silo.  —  Cutting  and  packing  in  silo.  —  Cost  per  ton  of  filling 
silo.  —  Ensilage  when  taken  from  silo.  —  Feeding,  and  the  results;  expo- 
sure to  the  air.  —  Quantity  per  cow  per  day.  —  Gain  in  milk.  —  Cattle  fed 
on  ensilage.  —  Feeding  on  ensilage  the  year  round.  —  Four  essential  points 
for  farmers  to  bear  in  mind.  —  Advantages  and  profits  of  ensilage  .  .  94 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

CORRESPONDENCE   FROM   F.    S.    PEER. 

Corn-fodder;  kind  and  quantity  to  plant. —Kind  of  cutter  and  power  used. 

—  Length  to  cut.  —  Size  of  silo;  experience  with  silos.  —  Cutting,  and  pack- 
ing in  silos.  —  Number  of  tons  put  in  silo  per  day.  —  Opening  of  silo,  and 
condition  of  ensilage.  —  Quantity  fed,  and  how  often.  —  Effect  of  ensilage 
on  milk  and  butter.  —Feeding  with  ensilage  compared  with  other  fodder. 

—  Feeding  of  all  kinds  of  stock  —  cows,  cattle,  sheep,  calves,  and  colts 

—  on  ensilage.  —  Total  cost  of  ensilage 99 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

CORRESPONDENCE    FROM   W.    C.    STRONG. 

PAGE 

Experiments  with  Hungarian  grass  for  ensilage.  —  Packing  Hungarian  in  silo 
without  cutting;  result  of  the  same.  —  Another  experiment  of  twelve 
acres  Hungarian.  —  Experimenting  ne\v  grasses.  —  Cutting  and  packing 
same  in  silo. —  Cattle  are  wild  to  get  tins  fodder;  cheapest  food  ever  fed 
out.  —  Beneficial  results  of  this  process  (ensilage). — A  new  era  in  agri- 
culture. —  Changes  which  no  one  can  foretell 102 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

REPORT   FROM   HON.    CHARLES   WILLIAMS,    NASHUA,    N.H. 

Description  of  silo.  —  Filling  of  silo.  —  Cutter  used-  —  Length  to  cut  corn-fod- 
der. —  Opening  of  silo.  —  Feeding  of  cows,  hogs,  and  poultry  .  .  .  104 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

REPORT  FROM   DR.    W.    H.    TANNER,    AMENIA,    DUTCHESS    COUNTY,    N.Y. 

Building  of  silo.  —  Number  of  acres  and  kind  of  corn  planted.  —  Opening  of 
silo.  —  Feeding  cattle.  —  Success  of  ensilage.  —  What  farmers  must  do.  — 
Feeding  a  hundred  cows,  with  best  results  ...  ...  105 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

REPORT  FROM  GEN.    STEPHEN  THOMAS  OF  VERMONT. 

Building  of  silo. — Way  it  was  built.  —  Fodder-cutter  and  power  used. — 

Comparative  value  of  ensilage  with  hay.  —  Cost  of  silo       .        .        .        .106 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

REPORT    FROM   HON.    J.    B.    BODWELL,    PINE    GROVE   FARM,    HALLO- 
WELL,   MAINE. 

Number  of  tons  put  in  silo.  —  Feeding  to  cattle  and  sheep.  —  Manner  of  feed- 
ing. —  Three  important  points  in  regard  to  ensilage.  —  A  good  silo  .  .  107 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

REPORT   FROM   MR.    E.    D.    WORKS,    FITCIIBURG,    MASS. 

Cutter  used.  — Length  and  quantity  cut. —  Filling  the  silo. —Opening  the 
silo.  —  Success  of  ensilage.  —  Cost  of  ensilage.  —  Other  grasses  for  en- 
silage  108 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

REPORT  FROM  COL.  R.  H.  DULANEY  OF  LOUDOUN  COUNTY,  MD. 

Number  of  acres  prepared  and  planted  for  corn-fodder.  —  Sjze  of  silo.  —  Fill- 
ing the  silo. —  Opening  of  the  silo.  —  Eighty-two  cattle,  two  hundred 
ewes,  feeding  on  ensilage.  —  Great  success  iii  feeding  sheep,  ewes  with 
lambs 10< 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

REPORT     FROM   MADAME   RUDERSDORFF. 

Has  silo  and  ensilage.  —  Ensilage  compared  writh  English  hay.  — Quality  and 

quantity  of  milk,  fed  on  ensilage Ill 


16  £T.   It.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

REPORT   FROM   E.    M.    WASHBURN   OF   BERKSHIRE    COUNTY. 

PAGE 

Has  silo  and  ensilage.  —  Hay  and  ensilage  compared.  —  Ensilage  as  an  invest- 
ment. —  No  reason  why  thousands  of  farmers  may  not  make  it  as  profit- 
able as  I  have Ill 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FEEDING   OF   STOCK. 

Different  ways  that  farmers  feed.  —  A  very  economical  way  of  feeding.  — 
Different" ways  of  feeding  with  ensilage  and  grains.  —  Most  economical 
way  given.  — Best  way  to  fatten  cattle  with  ensilage  and  grains.  —  Most 
natural  food  with  ensilage  and  grasses Ill 

CHAPTER  XXXY. 

ENSILAGE   FOR   POULTRY. 

How  poultry  relish  ensilage.  —  Appearance  and  results,  fed  on  ensilage. — 
Experiments,  feeding  poultry  on  ensilage.  —  Cost  of  feeding  poultry.  — 
Products  of  a  hundred  fowl  per  year,  fed  on  ensilage.  —  Products  of  one 
acre  of  land  of  ensilage.  —  Showing  how  a  cow  and  two  hundred  fowl 
can  be  kept  from  an  acre  of  land  on  ensilage,  by  practical  experiments  .  112 

CHAPTER  XXXYI. 

EXPERIMENTS   IN   FEEDING   STOCK. 

Very  valuable  and  interesting  experiments  of  feeding  sixteen  head  of  cattle 
"for  the  month  of  January,  1881,  giving  the  number  of  each  animal,  daily 
rations  of  each,  weight  of  each,  first  of  month,  weight  of  each,  end  of 
month,  gain  per  month,  gain  per  day,  gain  per  cent;  every  pound  of  hay, 
ensilage,  straw,  corn-meal,  rice-corn  meal,  cotton-seed  meal,  the  quanti- 
ties and  weight  of  each  being  given;  kind  of  cattle  described:  making  a 
very  thorough  and  instructing  experiment  for  a  farmer  ....  114 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Cuts  and  descriptive  of  forage  plants:  red  clover,  Hungarian  grass,  common 

millet,  lucerne 116 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

Cash  premiums  offered  for  the  largest  yield  of  fodder-corn  per  acre .        .        .    119 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
CONCLUSION  .  120 


H.  R  STEVENS  ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT  MAKES  THE  FARMERS  HAPPY? 

THE  reason  is  this,  by  reading  this  book  and  following  the  practical 
experience  of  other  farmers,  who  say  to  all  the  farmers  of  the  United 
States,  The  time  has  come,  brother  farmer,  when  you  can  earn  two 
dollars  at  half  of  the  expense  that  you  before  earned  one  dollar,  that 
is,  by  preserving  our  green  crops  by  ensilage,  by  turning  our  winters 
into  summers  for  the  feeding  of  our  stock ;  by  giving  our  cows,  in 
the  cold  winters,  food  and  nutrition  that  is  equal,  if  not  superior, 
to  the  green  grass  that  grows  in  the  warm  sunny  days  of  June ;  and 
the  result  is,  in  the  winter  months  we  have  increased  quantities  of 
milk,  richer  in  quality,  giving  us  butter  of  rich  color  and  fine  flavor, 
equalled  only  by  our  June  butter.  And  this  preserved  fodder  makes 
our  cattle  look  better,  they  thrive  better,  the  young  stock  will  thrive 
better,  they  grow  faster ;  in  fact,  they  do  better  than  when  turned 
into  a  good  pasture  in  the  month  of  June.  And  we  can  and  do 
obtain  these  great  advantages  at  less  cost,  less  trouble  and  incon- 
venience. 

The  saving  is  so  great,  that  we  can  keep  four  cows  upon  better  food 
at  no  more  expense  than  we  have  kept  one  cow.  There  are  other 
advantages  by  preserving  our  green  crops  for  ensilage. 

We  are  not  likely  to  lose  a  good  part  of  our  forage  crop  on  account 
of  the  weather.  We  can  cut  our  green  crops  of  maize,  of  rye,  of 
clover,  of  the  grasses,  and  immediately,  while  filled  with  the  rich 

17 


18  H.    R.    STEVENS    ON   ENSILAGE. 

juices,  they  are  placed  in  silos:  there  is  no  waiting  for  a  bright 
sunny  day,  or  a  good  "  hay-day."  They  are  preserved  for  ensilage  : 
they  not  only  retain,  but  by  the  slight  chemical  change  that  takes 
place  there  is  an  improvement  over,  the  natural  production.  Our 
stock  say  so  when  they  eat  it  so  greedily,  their  looks  show  it :  that  is 
proof  enough.  There  is  no  theory  about  it :  the  practical  proof  we 
have.  For  one,  I  believe  that  is  what  the  farmer  wants  ;  and  the  day 
is  near  at  hand  for  the  farmer,  when  he  will  say,  not  as  he  inquires 
to-day,  ''Who  has  built  a  silo  for  ensilage  ?"  but  the  question  will 
be,  "  Who  has  not  got  a  silo  for  ensilage?  " 


"SILO,"    "  ENSILAGE,"   DEFINED.  19 


CHAPTER  II. 

"SILO,"  "ENSILAGE,"  DEFINED. 

A  SILO  is  a  pit  or  well,  vat  or  cistern,  the  sides  and  bottom  being 
made  water- tight,  with  an  open  top.  They  can  be  made  of  stone, 
brick,  concrete,  or  wood.  Some  have  been  made  by  simply  excavating 
the  earth,  sides  and  bottom  being  cemented  ;  where  the  earth  is  com- 
pact, it  has  been  successfully  used,  without  any  thing  being  done  to 
the  sides  and  bottom  of  this  earth-pit,  or  silo.  The  walls  are  perpen- 
dicular, made  so  smooth  upon  their  inner  sides  as  to  offer  no  obstacle 
to  the  settling  or  compacting  of  the  ensilage  by  friction  of  the  sides. 
This  silo  is  for  the  preservation  of  the  green  forage  crops,  corn, 
Hungarian  grass,  clover,  rye,  oats,  millet,  and  all  the  grasses.  The 
food  thus  preserved  in  silos,  or  pits,  is  called  ensilage. 

The  origin  of  the  word  ' '  silo  ' '  is  undoubtedly  French,  the  term 
being  compounded  of  the  two  words,  "•  en  "  (in)  and  "  silo  "  (a  pit). 
In  adopting  and  developing  the  old  process,  known  in  different  coun- 
tries under  various  names,  the  French  re-christened  it  by  applying 
the  term  "ensilage,"  both  to  the  act  or  mode  of  preservation  and 
its  product,  using  the  term  necessarily  both  as  a  verb  and  a  noun. 


20  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER    III. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 

0".    IMT.    DV 
PROFESSOR  OF  AGRICULTURE,  HORTICULTURE,  AJSD  BOTAJSTT, 

OF    THE 

UNIVERSITY   OF   TENNESSEE. 


A   TREATISE  ON  THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  PROCESS  OF  ENSILAGE. 

THE  farming  community  is  becoming  greatly  excited  on  the  subject 
of  ensilage.  Every  agricultural  paper  fairly  bristles  with  notices, 
references,  or  accounts  of  experiments ;  and  the  process  already 
boasts  of  a  tolerably  copious  literature  of  its  own.  There  seems  to 
be,  in  this  country  at  least,  considerable  misapprehension  on  this 
point.  Two  entirely  distinct  processes  are  strangely  confounded,  - 
"ensilage"  and  "ensilage  of  maize."  A  Frenchman,  Goffart,  is 
generally  regarded  as  the  person  to  whom  the  agricultural  world  is 
indebted,  not  only  for  the  origination  and  development  of  the  ensilage 
of  maize,  but  also  for  the  discovery  and  development  of  the  process 
of  ensilage  itself.  The  gentleman  himself  seems  to  clearly  distin- 
guish between  the  two,  advancing  no  claims  to  the  discovery  of  ensi- 
lage, while  boasting  in  no  measured  terms  of  having  developed  and 
perfected  the  ensilage  of  maize,  speaking  of  it  as  a  "  monument  to 
his  fame,  more  enduring  than  brass." 

I  have  been  greatly  surprised  at  never  having  seen,  in  any  of  the 
numerous  articles  upon  this  subject,  some  mention  of  the  mode  of 
preserving  grass  for  forage,  as  practised  many  years  ago  in  East 
Prussia.  This  process  is  fully  described  by  Grieswald  (1842)  ;  and 
a  translation  of  the  passage  is  given  in  Stevens Js  large  work,  "The 
Farmer's  Guide,"  which  appeared  in  1851,  the  year  before  Goffart 
began  his  experiments.  The  process  as  therein  detailed  is  so  similar 


ORIGIN  AND  PROCESS   OF  ENSILAGE.  21 

to  that  which  Goffart  has  developed,  even  in  the  minutest  particulars, 
—  if  we  substitute  fine  grass  for  finely-cut  corn,  —  that  I  could  hardly 
describe  the  French   method   better  than    by  giving,    as   I   do,    the 
extract  in  full. 

44  A  curious  mode  of  preserving  grass  for  forage,  instead  of  making; 
it  into  hay,  has  been  tried  in  Germany,  in  East  Prussia;  and  it  is 
this  :  Pits  are  dug  in  the  earth,  ten  feet  or  twelve  feet  square  and  as 
many  deep.  They  are  puddled  with  clay,  and  lined  with  wood  or 
brick.  Into  these  pits  four  or  five  hundred  weight  of  grass,  as  it  is 
cut,  are  put  in.  a  layer  at  a  time,  sprinkled  with  salt  at  the  rate  of 
one  pound  to  one  hundred  weight,  and  if  the  grass  is  dry.  that  is, 
free  of  rain  or  dew,  two  or  three  quarts  of  water  are  sprinkled  over 
the  layer.  Each  layer  is  trodden  down  by  five  or  six  men,  and 
rammed  firm,  especially  round  the  edges,  with  wooden  rammers,  the 
object  of  which  is  the  exclusion  of  air.  A  little  straw  is  then  scat- 
tered over  the  layer  to  mark  its  dimensions  afterwards.  Layer  is 
placed  above  layer  till  the  pit  is  filled  to  the  top,  when  the  topmost 
layer  is  well  salted,  and  the  pit  covered  with  boards,  or  a  well-fitted 
lid.  upon  which  is  put  a  covering  of  earth  of  one  and  a  half  feet  in 
thickness.  Such  a  pit  will  contain  five  layers  of  grass,  and  should  be 
filled  in  two  days.  The  grass  soon  ferments,  and  in  about  six  days 
subsides  to  half  its  original  bulk.  The  lid  is  examined  every  day, 
and  every  crack  in  the  earth  filled  up  to  exclude  the  air,  which,  if 
allowed  to  enter,  would  promote  the  putrefactive  fermentation  in  the 
grass.  When  the  first  fermentation  has  ceased,  the  lid  is  taken  off, 
and  fresh  grass  put  in.  trodden  down,  and  salted  as  before.  The  pit 
will  now  contain  about  ten  tons  of  grass,  equal  to  two  or  three  tons 
of  hay.  The  pits  should  remain  shut  for  six  weeks  before  being 
used,  and  then  are  used  in  succession.  The  grass  thus  treated  has 
the  appearance  of  having  been  boiled,  and  its  sharp  acid  taste  is  very 
agreeable  to  cattle  ;  and  twenty  pounds  a  day  with  chopped  straw 
will  keep  a  cow  in  good  condition  all  winter,  and  twenty-eight  pounds 
will  cause  a  cow  to  give  a  rich  and  well- tasted  milk." 

After  reading  this  passage  we  are  almost  tempted  to  exclaim  with 
Solomon,  "  Truly  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun."  It  reads  as 
if  freshly  taken  from  the  pages  of  Goffart.  Here  we  have  modifica- 
tions and  improvements  only  arrived  at  by  the  Frenchman  after  years 
of  patient  experimentation.  The  dimensions  of  the  pit,  the  impor- 
tance of  the  thorough  exclusion  of  air,  the  puddling  with  clay  (almost 
similar  to  cementing)  in  order  to  effect  this,  the  use  of  soft,  fresh 


22  H.    It.    STEVENS    ON  ENSILAGE. 

grass,  the  sprinkling  with  salt,  the  heavy  packing  down,  the  impor- 
tance of  succulent,  un wilted  grass,  the  board  covering,  the  continuous 
descending  pressure  of  the  weight  of  earth,  —  which  Goffart  calls  the 
grand  secret  of  the  process  and  the  most  indispensable  element  of 
success,  discovered  only  after  repeated  experiments  on  his  part,  — 
the  refilling  of  the  pit  after  short  intervals  of  time  in  order  to  econo- 
mize space,  the  appearance  of  the  preserved  grass  (ensilage),  the 
acid  taste,  are  all  points  especially  noticed  in  this  old  account,  written 
nearly  half  a  century  ago. 

From  all  this  we  must  conclude  that  the  process,  even  in  its  most 
essential  features,  is  undoubtedly  an  old  one,  revived  after  lying  dor- 
mant and  unnoticed  for  years.  But,  as  the  merit  of  the  perfecter  is  but 
slightly  inferior  to  that  of  the  inventor,  great  praise  is  certainly  due 
to  those  gentlemen  who  have  by  their  labors  in  recent  years  brought 
again  into  prominence  a  system  which  is  so  full  of  promise.  In  this 
connection,  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Central  Agricultural 
Society  of  France  to  report  upon  the  subject  of  ensilage  of  maize, 
very  properly  observe,  "  The  world  is  so  old,  necessity  has  so  long 
compelled  the  efforts  of  human  beings,  that  we  find  precedents  in 
every  line  of  improvement.  But  all  experienced  men  who  know  the 
great  difference  which  separates  a  happy  suggestion,  or  even  a  suc- 
cessful attempt,  from  a  practice  well  enough  confirmed  to  become  the 
base  of  a  regular  business,  will  admit  that  these  precedents  do  not 
destroy  the  merit  of  any  man  who,  like  Monsieur  A.  Goffart,  has 
accomplished  a  continued  success." 

Whatever  question,  however,  may  arise  as  to  the  origin  of  the  pro- 
cess, there  can  be  none  as  to  the  name.  This  is  undoubtedly  French  ; 
the  term  being  compounded  of  the  two  words,  "en"  (in)  and 
"  silo  "  (a  pit).  In  adopting  and  developing  the  old  process,  known 
in  different  countries  under  various  names,  the  French  re-christened 
it  by  applying  the  term  "  ensilage,"  both  to  the  act  (or  mode)  of 
preservation  and  its  product,  using  the  term  necessarily  both  as  a 
verb  and  a  noun.  This  name  to  American  ears  is  pretentious, 
unmeaning,  and  confusing.  Our  farmers  would  far  more  readily 
understand  English  terms  more  descriptive  of  the  process  and  its 
product,  — terms  similar  to  "  canning"  fruits  or  vegetables,  "  pre- 
serving," "  pickling,"  etc.,  and  "  canned  "  fruits,  '*  preserves," 
"  pickles,"  etc.  They  would  all  be  more  attracted  by  the  terms,  "  to 
pit  corn,"  "  pitting  corn,"  "  pitted  corn,"  "  to  pit  clover,"  "  pitting 


LOCATION    OF  SILOH.  23 

clover,"  "  pitted  clover,"  etc.,  or  even,  "  to  bury  corn,"  "  burying 
corn,"  "  buried  corn,"  etc. 

This  system,  then,  is  no  longer  an  experiment :  it  is  one  approved 
of  by  the  experience  of  years,  it  may  be  of  centuries  ;  and  even  its 
more  recent  application  to  the  preservation  of  Indian  corn  has  been 
thoroughly  and  successfully  tried  in  France  and  elsewhere  by  hun- 
dreds of  enterprising  farmers. 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

LOCATION  OF  SILOS. 

THE  location  of  a  silo  should  be  as  near  the  barn  as  possible, 
for  convenience  and  saving  of  labor  in  feeding  stock.  With  many 
farmers  who  have  a  barn  basement,  a  silo  can  be  built  in  the  same, 
and  made  quite  convenient  for  feeding  their  stock.  As  many  base- 
ments of  this  kind  are  not  over  eight  or  nine  feet  high,  it  would  be 
practicable  to  excavate  or  dig  to  the  required  depth,  if  the  surround- 
ings will  allow  it ;  or  the  silo  could  be  built  up  through  the  barn  floor, 
say  two,  three  or  four  feet,  and,  with  an  eight  or  nine  feet  basement, 
would  give  a  fair  depth  to  a  silo  of  this  kind  and  size. 

Some  have  made  silos  under  the  carriage-house  which  is  connected 
with  their  barn,  and  made  very  good  ones.  In  locating  a  silo,  the 
top  part  of  the  silo  should  come  near  the  level  of  the  barn-floor, 
or  where  the  fodder-cutter  will  stand,  so  that  it  will  drop  right  into 
the  silo.  If  your  barn  is  situated  on  a  side-hill  slope,  and  your  stock 
are  kept  in  the  basement  of  the  barn,  by  building  your  silo  on  the 
upper  side,  and,  when  your  fodder  is  cut,  drops  into  the  silo,  your 
door  opening  out  of  the  silo  into  the  basement,  you  have  a  very  con- 
venient location  of  silo  for  all  work,  and  also  a  silo  that  will  be  of 
the  right  degree  of  temperature  for  the  preserving  of  ensilage  ;  as  I 
consider  a  silo  under  ground,  or  mostly  under  ground,  better  adapted 
to  the  extreme  high  temperature  and  extreme  low  temperature  of  our 
climate.  In  a  soil  that  is  naturally  dry,  a  silo  can  be  placed  at  the 
required  depth.  In  some  locations  where  it  is  naturally  wet,  or 
where,  by  going  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  feet,  you  come  to  water, 
it  would  be  better,  to  get  the  required  height,  to  build  partly  above 


24  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON   ENSILAGE. 

the  surface.  With  many  who  have  basements  under  their  barns,  a 
silo,  or  pit,  could  be  made  outside,  close  to  the  basement-wall,  located 
in  a  place  where  it  would  be  most  convenient  to  use  in  the  basement, 
or  otherwise,  by  making  a  passage-way  to  the  pit,  or  silo,  through  the 
foundation  walls  of  the  barn.  Any  form  or  construction  of  silos,  or 
pits,  which  answers  the  location  and  condition  may  be  used,  such  as 
pits  or  wells,  open  only  at  the  top,  the  food  being  put  in  and  taken 
out  from  the  top  only.  Such  silos,  or  pits,  would  have  the  advantage, 
that  successive  croppings  might  be  put  in  the  same  pit,  or  silo,  one 
above  the  other,  each  being  sealed  with  a  layer  of  earth  when  put 
in.  The  deeper  the  silo,  or  pit,  the  more  they  will  contain  in  propor- 
tion to  measurement,  owing  to  the  greater  density  of  the  contents 
from  the  weight  of  the  mass  above  ;  and,  the  greater  the  pressure, 
the  more  thorough  the  exclusion  of  the  air,  and,  without  any  doubt, 
the  better  preservation  of  the  ensilage. 


THE  BUILDING    OF  SILOS.  25 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  BUILDING  OF  SILOS  OF  DIFFERENT  SIZES  AND  FORMS,  GIVING 
THE  CAPACITY  AND   CONTENTS  OF  SAME. 

SILOS  can  be  built  of  stone,  brick,  concrete,  wood,  or  earth.  Some 
have  been  made  by  simply  excavating  the  earth,  sides  and  bottom 
being  cemented  ;  where  the  earth  is  compact,  it  has  been  successfully 
used,  without  any  thing  being  done  to  the  sides  and  bottom  of  this 
earth-pit,  or  silo.  Silos,  or  pits,  are  sometimes  merely  trenches,  a  few 
feet  in  depth  and  width,  into  which  the  corn-fodder  is  closely  packed, 
and  then  carried  vertically  upwards  above  ground  to  the  height  of 
four  or  five  feet,  and  carefully  covered  by  heaping  dirt  over  the  sides 
and  top  to  the  thickness  of  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches.  The 
chief  drawback  to  the  use  of  such  pits  is  their  liability  to  cave  in 
when  emptied  of  ensilage  in  the  spring.  One  silo  is  described  as  a 
well  thirty  feet  deep,  walled  up  and  cemented,  and  furnished  with  a 
windlass  and  rope  for  raising  the  ensilage  to  the  surface.  Many 
build  silos  parallel  to  each  other,  with  a  common  wall  between,  so 
that  they  can  be  used  in  succession.  Another  form  is  described  as 
an  elongated  cylinder,  arched  over  the  top  in  the  direction  of  its 
greatest  length,  after  the  manner  of  a  cistern,  and  with  only  a  nar- 
row opening  left  along  the  crest  of  this  arch,  through  which  the 
corn-fodder  is  delivered ;  and  it  is  closed  by  a  single  covering  of 
earth  after  the  pit  is  filled. 

Another  correspondent  states  here  that  he  has  experimented  for  a 
number  of  years  past  with  brewers'  grain,  endeavoring  to  discover 
the  best  mode  of  keeping  it.  He  has  tried  stone,  brick,  and  ce- 
mented vaults,  barrels,  and  wooden  vats,  and  found  none  to  compare 
with  pits  dug  in  a  clay  or  other  good  soil.  He  is  inclined  to  attrib- 
ute the  superiority  of  these  to  the  preservative  action  of  the  soil 
itself. 

A  very  good  silo  is  one  built  of  concrete.  It  costs  but  little  more 
to  build  a  good  silo  than  it  does  a  poor  one.  A  well-built  silo  of 
good  material  is  the  cheapest  and  safest.  Professor  E.  W.  Stewart 
advocates  to  build  it  of  water-lime  concrete.  First,  having  exca- 
vated for  the  silo,  dig  a  trench  all  around  the  bottom,  and  fill  in  with 


26  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

cobble-stones,  and  from  one  corner  lead  a  drain,  if  possible,  so  as  to 
carry  off  all  the  water ;  the  trench  under  the  proposed  walls  of  silo 
being  filled  with  cobble-stones  as  per  diagram. 


Place  standards  of  scantling  long  enough  to  extend  twelve  inches 
higher  than  the  top  of  the  wall  when  it  is  finished.  Place  these 
standards  on  each  side  of  the  proposed  wall  as  per  diagram  annexed  ; 


£L 


11 


oa.  —  3  x  4  inch  scantling  to  hold  !£  inch  plank  while  building  wall.     bb.  —  Doors. 


and  if  you  desire  the  wall  to  be  eighteen  inches  thick,  then  place  the 
standards  twenty-two  inches  apart,  and  place  a  pair  of  standards 
every  five  or  six  feet  around  the  entire  foundation.  Be  particular  to 
have  these  standards  exactly  plumb  and  exactly  in  line  ;  fasten  the 


THE  BUILDING    OF  SILOS.  27 

bottom  of  standards  firmly  in  the  ground,  or  by  nailing  a  strip  of 
wood  across  at  the  bottom  of  the  standards,  and  a  little  below  where 
the  floor  of  the  silo  will  be  ;  fasten  the  tops  of  the  standards  by  a, 
heavy  cross-piece  securely  nailed,  and  fasten  the  pairs  of  standards 
in  their  plumb  position  by  shores  reaching  the  bank  outside.  Now 
take  plank  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  thick  and  fourteen,  inches 
wide,  and  place  them  edgeways  inside  the  standards  twenty  inches 
apart,  thus  forming  a  box  fourteen  inches  deep,  and  running  all  along 
and  around  the  entire  foundation  of  the  proposed  wall.  Fill  this  box 
with  alternate  layers  of  cobble-stones,  or  any  rough  stones,  and  mor- 
tar or  concrete  ;  first  a  layer  of  concrete,  mortar,  and  then  a  layer 
of  stones  ;  not  allowing  the  stones  to  come  quite  out  to  the  boxing- 
plank,  but  having  concrete  over  the  edges,  and  the  concrete  must  be 
stamped  or  rammed  down  solid.  Prepare  the  concrete  as  follows  : 
Take  one  part  of  good  cement  (Portland  is  the  best  probably),  and 
mix  with  this  four  parts  of  sand  (do  not  have  the  sand  too  fine, 
rather  coarse),  and  mix  the  cement  thoroughly  with  the  sand  while 
dry,  and  then  mix  four  parts  of  clear  gravel ;  make  into  a  thin 
mortar,  and  use  at  once.  Put  into  the  box  an  inch  or  two  of  this 
mortar,  and  then  bed  in  cobble-stones,  then  fill  in  with  mortar,  again 
covering  the  stones,  and  again  put  in  a  layer  of  stone.  When  the 
box  is  filled  and  the  mortar  "  set,"  so  that  the  wall  is  firm,  then 
raise  the  box  one  foot,  leaving  two  inches  lap  of  plank  on  wall  below, 
and  go  around  again,  raising  the  wall  one  foot  each  day,  every  second 
day,  according  to  amount  of  labor  at  hand. 

If  one-half  the  bulk  of  finely-stocked  quick-lime  is  added  to  the 
water-lime,  it  will  improve  it,  and  costs  but  little.  If  Rosendale  or 
Akron  cement  is  used  instead  of  Portland,  then  proportions  should 
be  as  follows  :  One  barrel  of  good  live  cement,  three  barrels  of  good 
sand,  three  barrels  of  good  clean  gravel.  If  no  gravel  is  obtainable, 
then  use  five  barrels  of  sand  to  one  of  cement,  and  bed  in  all  the 
cobble-stones  possible.  Stones  with  rough  edges  are  better  than 
smooth,  as  they  bind  the  wall  more  thoroughly ;  but  any  flat  stones 
found  about  fields  will  do  as  well.  A  layer  of  loose  cobble-stones 
should  be  placed  against  the  outside  of  the  wall  before  the  earth  is 
brought  against  it,  so  as  to  have  an  air  space,  and  a  free  passage  for 
water.  We  think  that  stone  walls  two  feet  thick,  plastered  with 
Portland  cement,  are  better  than  concrete  ;  and,  where  people  can 
afford  to  build  of  stone,  they  had  better  do  so.  As  most  farmers 
have  plenty  of  stone  on  their  farms,  they  can  haul  and  lay  the  stones 


28  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

themselves :  if  they  hire  the  walls  plastered  with  cement,  it  would 
give  them  a  good  silo  at  a  very  low  price.  After  the  walls  are  fin- 
ished, then  level  the  bottom  of  the  silo,  giving  a  coating  of  coarse 
gravel,  then  take  the  same  mixture  of  cement,  sand,  and  gravel,  mix 
it  well  in  a  mortar-bed,  then  add  the  water,  mixing  it  well  to  the 
consistency  to  spread  well,  evenly,  two  or  three  inches  thick  :  smooth 
it  as  you  spread  it,  give  it  plenty  of  time  to  harden  and  dry.  You 
will  have  a  solid  bottom  that  will  last  for  years,  and  no  water  will 
ever  get  through  it.  Leave  an  opening  in  the  upper  part  of  wall,  of 
suitable  size  for  a  door,  to  take  out  ensilage  to  feed  to  your  cows. 
Have  matched  boards  or  plank  to  fill  this  opening :  while  filling  your 
silo  let  these  boards  bear  on  the  inside  of  the  wall ;  as  you  place 
them,  have  cement  or  mortar  to  bed  them  against  the  wall.  The 
ensilage  bearing  upon  will  keep  them  in  place.  By  so  doing,  your 
ensilage  will  be  all  right  about  the  door. 

If  your  silo  is  not  under  cover,  you  will  want  a  roof  over  it.  Have 
it  tight,  to  keep  out  all  rain  and  snow  ;  any  kind  of  a  roof  that  will 
shed  water  will  answer. 

A  good  silo  will  cost  from  seventy-five  cents  to  $1.25  per  ton. 
Much  depends  upon  the  location  and  the  convenience  of  getting  ma- 
terial to  build  the  silo.  Build  a  good  silo,  or  none  :  it  will  pay  to  do 
so,  if  you  are  obliged  to  borrow  money  to  build. 


Silos  will  have  to  be  built  many  times  to  conform  to  the  location  ; 
but,  where  the  location  and  surroundings  will  admit,  they  should  be 
built  rectangular  in  form,  the  annexed  diagram  giving  the  size  and 
form,  which  is  twenty-five  feet  long,  eleven  feet  wide,  and  fifteen  feet 
deep.  This  will  hold  one  hundred  and  three  tons,  allowing  forty 
cubic  feet  to  the  ton  ;  which  is  the  correct  weight  of  a  cubic  foot 
after  the  ensilage  has  settled  in  the  silo. 


THE  BUILDING   OF  SILOS. 


29 


This  quantity  will  keep  nine  cows  for  one  year,  allowing  sixty 
pounds  of  ensilage  per  day,  or  eighteen  cows  six  months,  or  during 
the  winter  season. 

A  very  convenient  form  of  silo  is  one  with  two  compartments : 
one  could  be  filled  early  in  September  with  corn,  second  crops  of 
grass  (rowen),  and  the  other  early  in  June,  in  our  climate,  with  rye 
or  clover ;  as  will  be  understood  by  annexed  diagram,  which  repre- 
sents a  horizontal  section  of  two  silos,  or  one  silo  with  two  compart- 
ments ;  each  compartment  being  thirty  feet  long,  ten  feet  wide,  fifteen 
feet  deep  with  an  eighteen-inch  wall  running  through  the  centre, 


making  the  width  twenty-one  feet  and  six  inches.  Both  of  these  silos 
when  filled  will  hold  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  tons,  or  one  silo 
will  hold  one  hundred  and  twelve  and  a  half  tons.  Both  of  these 
compartments  when  filled  would  feed  seventeen  cows  for  one  year, 
or  thirty-four  for  six  months  during  the  winter  season  ;  or  one  com- 
partment filled,  holding  one  hundred  and  twelve  and  a  half  tons,  would 
feed  out  seventeen  cows  during  the  winter  season.  You  will  build 
your  silo  to  conform  to  the  number  of  stock  you  wish  to  keep.  If 
you  have  ten  cows,  and  you  wish  to  increase  to  twenty,  you  had  bet- 
ter build  your  silo  of  suitable  size  to  feed  twenty.  To  get  at  the 
exact  size  of  silo  to  feed  any  number  of  cows  you  wish  to  keep,  you 
will  multiply  together  the  length,  breadth,  and  depth  of  your  intended 
silo,  which  gives  you  the  cubical  contents  of  the  silo.  Multiply  that 
product  by  forty,  as  there  are  forty  pounds  of  ensilage  to  a  cubic 
foot,  which  gives  the  number  of  pounds  of  ensilage  in  the  silo  when 
filled.  Divide  this  product  by  twenty-one  thousand  nine  hundred 
pounds,  that  being  the  quantity  to  keep  one  cow  a  year :  this  will  give 
you  the  number  of  cows  it  will  feed. 


30 


//.    I?.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


Other  forms  of  silo  can  be  built  with  more  compartments,  if  de- 
sired. Messrs.  Whitman  and  Burrell  recommend,  for  one  hundred 
cows,  a  silo  of  suitable  size  to  divide  into  three  compartments,  by 
means  of  cross- walls,  and  then  feed  out  one  silo  at  a  time :  this 
would  provide  an  empty  silo  in  the  spring,  which  would  be  ready  for 
the  winter  rye,  clover,  June  grass,  which  could  be  harvested  early  in 

June,  cut  up  same  as  corn-fodder, 
and  stored  in  silos  for  summer  feed- 
ing. Mr.  O.  B.  Potter  of  New  York 
makes  a  series  of  silos,  or  pits,  in  sec- 
tions as  annexed  diagram,  which  rep- 
resents a  horizontal  section  of  pits 
thus  constructed,  taken  through  the 
doorways  near  the  bottom  of  the  pits. 
Each  one  of  these  sections,  or  silos, 
will  hold  seventy-five  tons.  The 
twelve  will  hold  nine  hundred  tons. 
The  entrance-pit  will  hold  one  hundred 
and  fifty  tons.  Each  section  is  twen- 
ty feet  long,  ten  feet  wide,  and  fifteen 
feet  deep.  The  entrance-pit  is  forty 
feet  in  length,  fifteen  feet  deep,  and 
ten  feet  wide. 

STABLE.  It  will  be  seen,  from  this  construc- 

—  tion,  that  as  many  tiers  of  piers  may 

be  made,  end  to  end,  at  right  angles  to  the  first  or  entrance-pit, 
as  may  be  required  and  space  allow ;  and  that,  after  the  contents  of 
this  first  or  entrance-pit  are  fed  out,  each  of  the  other  row  of  pits 
may  be  opened  and  fed  out,  one  pit  at  a  time  ;  and  that  only  the  sur- 
face of  the  food  at  the  end  of  the  one  pit  which  is  being  fed  will 
at  any  time  be  exposed  to  the  air  until  the  whole  are  fed  out. 


ENTRANCE-PIT. 


EXPERIENCE  AT  ECHO  DALE  FARM.  31 


CHAPTER   VI. 

MY  PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE  AT  ECHO  DALE  FARM  WITH  ENSILAGE 

AND  SILOS. 

AFTER  reading  Mr.  Brown's  translation  of  M.  Goffart's  publi- 
cations, I  resolved  to  have  a  silo  of  suitable  size  to  fairly  test  the 
preserving  of  green  fodder  corn  for  ensilage.  As  1  read  several 
articles  in  different  agricultural  papers,  I  became  deeply  interested 
upon  the  subject  of  ensilage.  I  visited,  early  in  June  last  year, 
Dr.  Bailey's  farm  in  Billerica.  The  doctor's  farm  is  some  four  miles 
from  the  station.  Fortunately  I  met  the  doctor  at  the  station,  he 
having  arrived  on  the  same  train.  The  doctor's  carriage  was  in  wait- 
ing :  he  invited  me  to  ride  with  him  to  his  farm.  After  a  very  pleas- 
ant chat  on  the  way  upon  the  subject  of  silos,  ensilage,  etc.,  we 
arrived  at  the  farm.  He  was  then  ensilaging  his  rye,  and  mixing 
through  it  the  fresh-cut  grass  from  the  mowing-field :  as  the  rye  was 
getting  quite  dry  to  be  cut  for  ensilage,  he  had  a  continual  stream  of 
water  running  through  a  hose  with  a  rose-bib  on  the  end  of  the  hose, 
and  the  water  dropping  upon  the  cut  rye  and  grass  as  it  dropped  into 
the  silo.  This  water  discharging  into  the  silo  answered  two  purposes  : 
it  made  the  cut  rye  and  grass  more  compact  as  it  was  spread  and 
tramped  down,  also  it  helped  fill  the  air-cells  of  the  dry  stalk  of  the 
rye  ;  by  so  doing  it  helped  to  exclude  the  air,  which,  with  pressure, 
in  thoroughly  excluding  the  air,  is  the  success  of  preserving  the 
ensilage.  In  company  with  other  visitors,  Dr.  Bailey  showed  us 
over  his  farm  :  all  seemed  interested  in  his  fine  flock  of  Cotswold 
sheep,  his  breed  of  Berkshires,  which  are  the  pure  clean  breed. 
The  short  time  there  was  passed  very  pleasantly,  for  all  farmers 
take  pleasure  in  looking  at  good  thoroughbred  stock. 

On  the  last  of  June,  after  waiting  some  two  weeks,  hoping  it  might 
rain,  I  ploughed  about  two  acres  of  greensward :  and  it  seemed  to  me 
I  never  saw  the  ground  dryer ;  it  was  like  ashes.  I  prepared  the 
ground,  planted  my  corn  in  drills  (which  was,  by  the  way,  corn  I 
purchased  of  Dr.  Bailey,  five  dollars  per  bushel),  rows  four  feet 
apart,  kernels  three  and  four  inches  apart.  Considering  the  ex- 
cessive dry  weather,  the  corn  yielded  very  well.  From  what  we 


82  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON   ENSILAGE. 

weighed,  I  calculated  we  had  twenty-five  tons  per  acre.  I  fed  a 
part  of  this,  cut  up  green,  to  my  cows,  the  balance  for  my  silo.  I 
planted  a  small  piece  on  lower  ground,  where  the  yield  was  at  the 
rate  of  fifty  tons  to  the  acre.  The  stalks  averaged  twelve  feet  in 
height. 

I  built  my  silo  in  the  basement  of  my  barn,  sixteen  feet  long, 
twelve  feet  wide,  twelve  feet  deep.  As  it  was  an  experiment  with 
me,  I  made  the  size  of  silo  to  conform  to  the  location.  The  walls 
were  made  of  brick,  one  foot  thick,  well  laid  in  cement,  with  door 
placed  near  the  top,  six  feet  deep,  three  feet  wide,  facing  in  towards 
the  tie-up  for  the  cows.  I  made,  besides  this,  a  smaller  silo  one-half 
the  capacity,  to  test  the  keeping  of  ensilage  in  small  quantities  ;  but, 
before  I  had  the  larger  one  entirely  filled,  I  saw  I  should  have  but 
little  left  to  fill  the  small  one.  I  would  say  to  the  farmer,  the  first 
time  you  fill  a  silo  you  will  wonder,  and  say,  "  I  don't  see  where  so 
much  of  it  is  packed  away,"  if  your  silo  is  large  or  small.  I  then 
purchased  a  one-horse  railway  power,  and  a  Baldwin  fodder-cutter. 
My  barn  is  located  on  a  south-east  slope  side-hill,  giving  me  a  twelve- 
foot  basement,  entrance  on  south  side,  the  main  entrance  to  the  first 
floor,  north-west  side  ;  here  I  placed  my  horse-power  and  cutting- 
machine,  and  made  a  good-sized  trap-door  through  the  floor.  The 
corn,  when  cut,  dropped  through  the  trap-door  into  the  silo. 

I  shall  mention  in  another  part  of  this  book  in  regard  to  power  to 
be  used. 

As  a  great  number  of  persons  wished  me  to  let  them  know  when 
the  silo  was  to  be  filled,  I  notified  several  of  our  Boston  dailies,  and 
the  following  appeared:  uDr.  H.  R.  Stevens,  of  Echo  Dale  Farm, 
Dover,  Mass.,  will  be  ensilaging  corn  every  day  this  week ;  and  an 
invitation  is  given  to  all  persons  interested  wishing  to  witness  the 
operation.  Trains  leave  Boston  and  Albany  Depot,  8  A.M.,  12.15 
P.M.  ;  return,  1.30,  4.30  P.M.  ;"  and,  from  the  great  numbers  who 
came,  I  was  surprised  to  see  so  much  interest  taken  in  this  enter- 
prise. For  my  railway  horse-power,  I  built  a  platform  of  two-inch 
plank,  nailed  strips  of  inch  boards  about  four  inches  wide  across  the 
plank,  made  the  platform  two  feet  wider  at  the  bearing  on  the  ground 
than  the  top  part.  In  doing  so  you  make  every  thing  safe  in  getting 
in  and  out  your  horse.  After  you  have  once  tried  it,  you  will  see  the 
importance  of  it.  I  used  a  horse  that  -had  formerly  been  a  very 
valuable  carriage-horse  :  although  now  sixteen  years  old,  he  has  as 
much  life  as  any  horse  six  years  old.  This  horse-power  was  new 


EXPERIENCE  AT  ECHO  DALE  FARM.  33 

business  to  me.  With  care,  my  horse  went  into  tread-power  without 
any  trouble.  After  one  hour's  work,  you  would  think  he  was  an  old 
hand  at  it.  Every  thing  worked  finely. 

As  I  did  not  wish  to  use  a  steam-engine,  on  account  of  sparks  of 
fire  from  the  boiler  (for  one,  I  am  afraid  of  fire,  around  my  barn, 
especially  in  very  dry  weather) ,  I  kept  one  man  in  the  silo,  treading 
and  distributing  the  cut  fodder ;  a  part  of  the  time  two  men,  one 
man  to  feed  the  cutter,  one  to  cut  up  the  fodder,  one  man  to  haul 
the  fodder  from  the  field,  the  one  cutting  to  help  load.  I  used  a 
clump-cart  with  quite  high  side-boards.  By  using  the  last,  it  could 
be  tipped  up  by  the  side  of  the  cutter,  and  save  once  handling.  By 
so  doing,  all  were  kept  at  work.  I  mention  this  :  perhaps  some  might 
think  not  important ;  but  I  think  it  is,  as  many  farmers  of  limited 
means,  or  farmers  who  do  not  want  or  cannot  have  an  engineer  to 
run  an  engine,  will  use  the  horse-power.  The  horse-power  can  be 
put  to  many  uses  on  a  farm  :  you  can  saw  wood  enough  in  one  day 
for  your  house  to  last  all  winter,  for  it  gladdens  the  farmer's  wife  to 
see  a  large  pile  of  wood  drying  nicely  for  winter  use. 

We  continued  cutting  from  four,  to  five  hours  per  day  for  four 
days.  As  visitors  were  coming  every  day,  I  was  in  no  hurry.  We 
were  filling  the  silo  from  two  to  three  feet  each  day.  I  found  every 
morning,  after  the  day's  work,  the  cut  corn- fodder  would  be  quite 
warm  to  the  depth  of  one  to  two  inches.  Just  before  I  commenced 
to  fill  in  the  morning,  I  sprinkled  four  or  five  pails  of  water  evenly 
over  the  cut  fodder :  it  cooled  it,  and  arrested  fermentation.  When 
the  silo  was  filled,  I  spread  evenly  over  the  top  oat-straw  to  the  depth 
of  six  to  eight  inches.  I  then  placed  two-inch  plank  crosswise  of 
the  silo,  leaving  about  half  an  inch  play  on  each  end  of  the  plank, 
to  be  free  while  settling  with  the  corn-fodder.  I  placed  on  the  top 
of  the  plank  good-sized  stones,  about  one  foot  deep. 

I  found  by  trials,  we  could  cut,  with  one-horse  power,  twenty-five 
tons  per  day.  Where  there  are  large  silos  to  be  filled,  say  two  hun- 
hundred  tons  or  more,  steam-power  with  heavy  cutter  will  do  double 
the  work  ;  or  a  two-horse  tread-power,  with  suitable  cutter,  will  cut 
forty  to  fifty  tons  per  day.  I  think  the  fodder,  when  it  is  in  bloom 
or  fully  tasselled,  is  in  the  best  condition  to  cut  for  ensilage. 

I  cut  my  corn-fodder  in  one-half  inch  pieces  :  some  cut  three- 
eiq-litlis  to  four-tenths  of  an  inch.  The  shorter  it  is  cut,  there  is  no 
doubt  of  its  packing  closer ;  the  shorter  the  cut,  the  slower  the  work 
in  cutting.  The  process  of  filling  a  silo  is  very  simple  and  easily 


34  H.   R.    STEVENS  ON  ENSILAGE. 

practised :  have  plenty  of  pressure ;  and,  as  the  mass  settles,  it  be- 
comes air-tight,  with  the  chemical  change  that  takes  place,  forming 
carbonic  acid  gas,  which  fills  the  interstices,  thereby  preventing  the 
oxygen  from  forwarding  fermentation.  I  have  no  doubt  the  ensilage, 
while  in  this  condition,  may  be  preserved  for  years.  I  opened  my 
silo  early  in  December.  I  removed  the  stone  and  first  plank  near 
the  door,  then  removed  the  straw  which  was  next  to  the  ensilage. 
The  lower  part  of  the  straw,  and  about  two  inches  on  the  top  of  the 
ensilage,  had  partially  decayed,  and  was  unfit  to  feed  to  cattle.  I 
then  sliced  down  the  ensilage  the  width  of  the  plank,  removed  it 
from  the  silo.  I  found  the  preservation  of  the  corn-fodder  good ; 
some  parts  had  changed  to  a  light  brown  color,  mostly  the  leaves  of 
the  stalk ;  the  pith  of  the  stalks  were  as  white  as  when  first  cut  for 
silo ;  after  exposure  to  the  air  for  a  few  minutes,  it  brightened  up, 
the  color  was  more  of  a  light  green,  the  odor  and  taste  was  alcoholic 
and  slightly  vinous,  from  that  taken  off  near  the  top.  All  below 
this  was  very  sweet,  with  the  natural  taste  of  the  corn-fodder.  The 
ensilage  was  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  throughout  the  silo. 
The  slight  chemical  change  that  takes  place  in  well-preserved  ensi- 
lage in  the  silo  assimilates,  or  causes  the  ensilage  to  appear  slightly 
cooked  or  partly  steamed.  By  this  chemical  change  the  ensilage, 
when  fed  and  eaten  by  cattle,  is  more  easily  digested.  For  that  rea- 
son, I  say  the  ensilage  is  more  beneficial  to  stock  :  they  like  it,  thrive 
better,  and  do  better  than  when  fed  upon  the  same  corn-fodder  cut  up 
fresh  from  the  field. 

In  feeding  the  ensilage  to  stock,  they  ate  it  very  well,  cows,  year- 
lings, and  calves,  except  one  Jersey,  who,  in  a  day  or  two,  ate  it 
well.  My  cows  have  a  good,  warm,  well-ventilated  basement  of  my 
barn,  and  I  thought  they  looked  as  well  as  they  could  :  they  have  the 
best  of  care,  well  fed,  well  bedded,  thoroughly  carded  and  brushed 
every  day,  and  their  hide  and  hair  as  clean  and  sleek  as  any  horse, 
and  I  did  not  expect  they  would  look  any  better,  if  quite  as  well ; 
but  I  must  say  I  never  saw  them  looking  as  well  as  they  do  at  the 
present  time.  They  have  less  grain  than  when  fed  upon  hay.  They 
are  fat  enough  for  the  butcher,  look  sleek  and  bright,  their  hide  is 
loose ;  and  every  farmer  knows,  with  these  indications  it  means  the 
best  of  health,  with  an  increase  of  milk  in  quantity,  and  the  quality 
so  much  better,  that  the  butter,  with  its  rich  golden  color,  is  only 
equalled  in  flavor  by  the  June  grasses. 

bince  I  began  to  feed  ensilage,  I  give  no  hay :  each  cow  has  its 


EXPERIENCE  AT  ECHO  DALE  FARM. 


35 


fifty  to  sixty  pounds  of  ensilage  per  day,  with  six  quarts  of  shorts  ; 
add  to  this,  for  milch  cows,  two  quarts  of  corn-meal :  this  is  for  a 
day's  feeding,  fed  morning  and  night,  at  noon  half  a  peck  of  beets 
or  carrots.  Cows  that  are  dry,  and  young  cattle,  no  meal,  turnips 
iu  place  of  beets  or  carrots.  I  had  one  Jersey  cow  that  gave  four 
quarts  of  milk  per  day  up  to  the  time  of  calving.  She  brought  forth 
a  fine  healthy  calf :  the  calf  is  now  four  weeks  old,  and  has  improved 
as  well  as,  if  not  better  than,  when  the  cow  was  fed  upon  hay.  The 
cow  has  been  fed  upon  ensilage  all  the  time,  with  six  quarts  of  shorts 
per  day,  gives  a  good  flow  of  milk,  and  looks  finely. 

After  taking  off  the  corn- fodder  for  ensilage,  I  prepared  the 
ground,  and  sowed  it  to  rye,  with  two  acres  additional.  I  shall  cut 
the  rye  while  green,  and  in  blossom,  put  it  in  silo  to  feed  out  during 
late  summer ;  after  the  rye  is  cut,  plant  again  to  corn  for  ensilage, 
to  be  put  in  silo  early  in  September.  I  shall  build,  the  coming  sea- 
son, a  large  silo  divided  in  sections.  Explanations  given  under  head 
of  "  Building  Silos." 


END   VIEW   OF   SILO,    SHOWING    DOOR. 


36  IL    R.    STEVENS    ON  ENSILAGE. 

CHAPTER     VII. 

FILLING   THE  SILO. 

WILL  require  either  steam  or  horse  power,  also  a  powerful  fodder- 
cutter.  A  good  portable  engine,  with  boiler  attached,  that  will  d© 
all  the  work,  and  do  it  well,  will  cost  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  dollars. 

A  good  fodder-cutter  will  cost  forty  to  a  hundred  and  twenty-five 
dollars. 

A  good  one-horse  power,  all  ready  to  hitch  to  your  fodder-cutter, 
will  cost  a  hundred  dollars.  With  this  you  can  cut  twenty-five  tons 
per  day,  easy. 

A  good  two-horse  power  will  cost  a  hundred  and  sixty  dollars. 

This  power  would  require  a  more  powerful  cutter,  and  would  cut 
fifty  tons  or  more  in  a  day.  If  the  farmer  thinks  it  would  be  expen- 
sive to  buy  this  power  and  cutter  for  the  few  days  he  would  want  it 
in  the  fall  and  early  summer,  to  fill  his  silo,  and  if  he  has  a  small  silo 
to  start  with,  he  could  unite  with  others  in  his  town  or  county,  —  say 
two ;  it  would  divide  the  expense :  four  would  make  the  first  cost 
less,  six  would  make  it  very  small.  Or  one  man  could  own  a  good 
two-horse  power  with  a  powerful  cutter,  or  a  steam-engine,  and  go 
from  farm  to  farm,  and  charge  a  good  fair  price.  In  this  way  it 
would  come  very  reasonable  to  the  farmer. 

If  you  are  ready  to  fill  the  silo,  it  is  important  to  have  your  corn- 
fodder  and  grasses  fresh-cut  when  taken  to  the  silo.  Do  not  cut  any 
more  in  the  field  than  you  can  take  care  of  at  the  fodder-cutter,  more 
particularly  if  it  is  a  bright,  sunny  day.  If  my  silo  held  one  hundred 
tons  or  less,  I  should  cut  it  three-eighths  or  four-tenths  of  an  inch. 
I  should  never  cut  over  a  half-inch  for  any-size  silo.  You  are  per- 
fectly safe  in  cutting  these  lengths.  There  is  no  doubt,  the  finer  the 
cut,  the  closer  the  pack ;  and  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  pack 
your  fodder  close,  tramp,  tramp,  with  plenty  of  pressure.  Tramp 
well,  close  to  the  sides  and  the  corners.  When  your  silo  is  full,  even 
with  the  top  of  your  walls,  and  you  have  more  corn-fodder  or  grasses, 
you  can  build  a  frame  of  plank,  two  or  three  feet  high,  and  of  the 
same  width  and  length  of  the  silo.  Place  this  upon  the  walls,  and 
fill  the  space  to  the  top  of  the  wooden  feeder.  Upon  the  ensilage 
a  cover  of  plank  is  placed  :  load  with  heavy  weights,  and  in  two 


FILLING    THE   SILO. 


37 


days  the  cover  will  have  pressed  the  ensilage  below  the  mouth  of  the 
pit,  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  wall.  Then  remove  this  covering, 
and  proceed  to  cover  the  ensilage  as  you  would  if  you  had  not  put  in 
this  extra  quantity  ;  spread  as  quickly  as  possible  over  the  top  of 
your  ensilage,  rye,  oat,  or  barley  straw,  to  the  depth  of  six  or  eight 
inches  ;  then  place  on  the  top  of  straw  the  plank  already  cut  to 
lengths,  crossways  of  your  silo,  close  together,  covering  the  whole 
surface  of  the  plank  with  stone  or  rocks,  not  less  than  one  foot  in 
depth.  If  stones  and  rocks  are  scarce,  place  bricks,  iron,  boxes,  or 
bags  of  dirt,  logs  of  wood,  any  thing  that  will  weight  down  and  com- 
press the  ensilage.  By  following  these  directions,  you  will  always 
have  good  success. 

I  have  visited,  or  corresponded  with,  thirty-seven  different  parties, 
within  the  past  year,  who  have  silos :  all  are  enthusiastic  on  the  good 
reports  of  ensilage  ;  and  the  majority  who  have  not  large  silos  will 
build  one  —  some  two  additional  —  the  coming  year. 


TAKING   ENSILAGE  FROM  SILO  BY  VERTICAL  SLICING, 


38  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


-    J".   J~.    HI.    O-K.EC3-OE.ir, 

MARBLEHEAD,   MASS.,   JAN.   15,   1881. 


H.  R.  STEVENS,  ESQ. 

My  Dear  Sir: 

I  have  had  no  personal  experience  with  silos,  but  think  exceed- 
ingly well  of  ensilage.  In  answer  to  questions,  would  say :  Would 
recommend  "•  Blunt 's  Prolific,"  expressly;  but  any  of  the  largest 
varieties  of  Southern  corn  will  answer,  such  as  "  Chester  County 
Mammoth"  for  example.  Why  I  would  prefer  "  Blunt's  "  is  be- 
cause, while  it  gives  great  stalk  here  North  (sometimes  seventeen 
feet  high),  it  ears  more  abundantly  than  other  Southern  kinds.  The 
best  time  to  cut  corn  is  when  the  ears  are  in  the  milk,  while  they  are, 
bulk  for  bulk,  by  far  the  most  valuable  portion  of  the  crop.  I  advo- 
cate the  Southern  in  preference  to  Northern  varieties  ;  because,  though 
the  Northern  sorts  analyze  a  large  per  cent  of  sugar,  yet  their  bulk 
of  leaves  and  stalks  is  more  than  proportionally  smaller.  When  to 
plant,  for  the  large  Southern  varieties,  I  would  recommend,  for  this 
latitude,  to  plant  by  10th  of  June. 

I  would  advocate  plenty  of  room,  have  the  rows  three  to  four  feet 
apart ;  also  to  plant  and  work  wholly  by  machinery,  when  the  area  is 
large.  We  have  grown  stalks  to  weigh  five  pounds  or  more. 

As  regards  the  quantity  per  acre,  I  would  say  forty  tons,  though 
at  rate  of  seventy  tons  per  acre  have  been  raised  in  small  area. 
Ensilage  meets  the  means  of  doing  what  we  before  considered  im- 
possible :  saves  corn- fodder  on  a  large  scale,  and  large  variety  of 
fodder,  in  better  condition  than  when  dried.  It  will  make  food  more 
acceptable  to  cattle,  and  present  it  in  a  form  advanced  one  stage 
toward  digestion  ;  and,  though  the  nutritious  qualities  may  be  slightly 
diminished,  the  fat-making  qualities  are  more  than  proportionally 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  GEORGE  L.    CLEMENCE.  39 

increased.  It  will  also  nearly  carry  summer  into  winter  in  the  qual- 
ity it  gives  to  the  food,  which  cows  will  show  in  the  butter  and  milk. 
There  is  another  argument  of  great  weight :  it  will,  in  effect,  add 
largely  to  the  area  of  our  barns,  by  making  the  cellar  and  below 
ground  available  for  fodder  storage. 

Yours  truly, 

J.  J.  H.  GREGORY. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


CORRESPONDENCE  FROM 


.    O-EOE^O-E    L- 

SOUTHBBIDGE,   MASS.,    JAN.   22,    1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir : 

In  reply  to  your  letter,  asking  my  experience  with  ensilage,  I  would 
say,  that  I  first  became  interested  in  the  preservation  of  our  green 
crops  in  silos  during  the  winter  of  1879  and  1880.  In  answering 
your  request,  I  will  repeat  the  questions,  and  answer  them  practicably 
as  far  as  I  have  had  experience. 

QUES.  — What  is  your  method  of  planting  and  raising  corn-fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  I  turn  under  greensward  about  the  1st  of  May,  and  apply 
six  to  eight  cords  stable-manure  per  acre,  which  I  spread  and  thor- 
oughly mix  with  the  soil,  to  the  depth  of  four  inches,  by  using  a  two- 
horse  cultivator.  I  plant  with  an  Albany  corn-planter,  in  drills  three 
feet  apart,  about  the  20th  of  May.  I  run  a  cultivator  between  each 
row,  as  the  corn  is  two  inches  high,  then  again  as  often  as  the  weeds 
start,  or  the  soil  becomes  compact. 

QUES.  —  What  kind  of  corn  do  you  think  best  to  plant  for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  Kentucky  White,  for  the  reason  that  it  contains  less  sugar, 
thereby  producing  less  acid  while  undergoing  fermentation  in  the 
silo. 


40  R.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

QUES.  —  What  time  of  the  year  do  you  think  most  suitable  to  plant 
corn  for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —About  the  20th  of  May. 

QUES.  — About  what  is  the  cost  per  acre  of  raising  corn  ready  for 
ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  I  can  raise  corn-fodder  for  thirty  dollars  per  acre.  This 
includes  whole  cost  of  labor,  and  one-half  cost  of  manure,  balance 
remaining  for  successive  grass-crops. 

QUES.  — About  how  much  corn-fodder  for  ensilage  do  you  average 
per  acre? 

ANS.  — I  weighed  a  portion  of  my  field  last  fall,  and  found  I  had 
at  rate  of  fifty  tons  per  acre. 

QUES.  — Do  you  plant  or  raise  any  grasses  or  grains  for  ensilage? 

ANS.  —  I  sowed  three  acres  of  winter  rye  last  fall,  which  I  propose 
to  ensilage  as  soon  as  in  bloom,  and  use  it  for  soiling  milch  cows  in 
August  and  September. 

QUES.  — What  do  you  consider  the  best  machine  for  cutting  fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  The  "Silver"  and  "  Deming,  No.  16,"  sold  by  Whitte- 
more  Brothers  of  Boston. 

QUES. — What  length  do  you  consider  suitable  to  cut  the  corn- 
fodder  ? 

ANS.  —  I  think  three-eighths  of  an  inch  most  suitable. 

QUES.  — Will  you  give  me  your  experience  with  silos? 

ANS.  —  I  built  an  experimental  silo  in  July,  1880,  in  the  following 
manner :  I  took  out  the  floor  in  the  end  of  my  stable,  for  a  space  of 
twelve  feet  each  way ;  I  then  excavated  in  the  basement  beneath, 
which  is  nine  feet  deep,  one  foot,  and  placed  four  sticks  of  timber 
on  the  bottom  of  this  excavation,  so  that  the  inside  face  of  the  tim- 
ber was  plumb  with  the  inside  face  of  the  sills  of  stable  above.  I 
next  procured  twelve  hundred  feet  one-inch  pine  boards,  twelve  feet 
long,  planed  on  one  side  and  matched  :  these  I  placed  perpendicular, 
and  nailed  to  the  sills  of  stable  and  timbers  below.  After  putting 
on  one  thickness  of  boards  around  the  silo,  we  carefully  papered  the 
inside  with  tar- paper,  and  over  this  laid  another  thickness  of  boards, 
and  painted  the  joints  with  thick  paint :  on  the  bottom,  or  floor,  we 
laid  a  coat  of  cement,  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick. 

My  silo  was  then  done  :  it  was  in  the  form  of  a  cube,  the  sides  of 
which  were  twelve  feet,  and  the  whole  expense,  including  material 
and  labor,  was  thirty  dollars.  I  will  here  state,  that  you  may  under- 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  GEORGE   L.    CLEMENCE.  41 

stand  better  the  position  of  the  silo,  that  my  barn  is  one  hundred 
feet  long,  by  forty  wide  :  the  stable,  in  which  I  keep  at  the  present 
time  sixteen  cows  and  eight  heifers,  is  in  the  south  side  of  the  barn. 
There  is  a  drive-way,  or  barn-floor,  twelve  feet  wide,  running  parallel 
with  the  stable.  In  the  north  side  of  the  barn,  there  are  bays  for 
storing  hay.  The  silo  is  in  the  west  end  of  the  stable,  the  top  being 
two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  barn-floor. 

QUES.  —  Your  experience  with  cutting  and  packing  corn-fodder  for 
ensilage  in  the  silos? 

ANS. —  I  placed  the  cutter  (which,  by  the  way,  was  home-made, 
costing  only  six  dollars)  on  the  barn-floor,  so  that  the  corn,  as  fast 
as  cut,  fell  directly  into  the  silo.  The  cutter  was  run  by  a  one-horse 
sweep-power  placed  in  basement  of  the  barn.  We  began  ensilaging 
corn  Sept.  13,  put  in  two  feet  per  day  for  three  days,  when  the  corn 
that  I  designed  for  ensilage  was  all  in  the  silo.  Sept.  16,  mowed 
two  acres  of  rowen,  which  we  put  in  the  silo  as  fast  as  mowed,  with- 
out running  it  through  the  cutter :  this  filled  the  silo  within  three  feet 
of  the  top.  I  then  put  on  six  inches  of  dry  hay,  and  put  on  plank 
cover,  on  which  we  piled  cobble-stones  to  the  depth  of  two  feet. 
The  whole  mass  settled  two  feet  after  putting  on  the  stones  :  there 
never  was  any  steam,  or  smell  of  any  kind,  escaping  from  it. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  it  costs  per  ton  to  raise  the  corn- 
fodder  from  the  seed,  and  have  it  thoroughly  packed  for  ensilage  in 
the  silo? 

ANS.  —  I  can  raise  corn-fodder  for  sixty  cents  per  ton,  and  the 
expense  of  ensilaging  is  about  fifty  cents  per  ton  ;  making  a  total 
expense  of  one  dollar  and  ten  cents  per  ton. 

QUES. — What  do  you  think  would  be  the  most  practical  size  and 
form  of  silo? 

ANS. — I  think  a  silo  sixteen  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  and 
fifteen  feet  deep,  the  most  practical. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  the  best  and  cheapest  material  for 
building  silos?  Some  are  built  of  brick,  some  of  stone  and  cement, 
some  of  concrete,  and  some  have  been  built  up  of  plank  with  quite 
good  success. 

ANS.  — In  sections  where  good  building-stone  are  plenty,  I  think  a 
smooth  stone  wall,  plastered  on  the  inside  with  cement,  would  be  the 
cheapest. 

QUES. — Have  you  opened  your  silo  to  feed  ensilage  to  stock?  if 
so,  did  it  come  out  satisfactory? 


42  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

ANS.  —  I  opened  the  silo  Dec.  4  ;  found  the  hay  that  we  placed  on 
top  mouldy ;  the  rowen  was  a  brownish  color  and  very  fragrant, 
smelling  quite  like  new-mown  hay,  but  not  just  like  it,  more  like  the 
smell  of  honeycomb. 

The  cattle  all  ate  it  greedily  the  first  time  it  was  given  them,  not 
one  of  the  twenty-four  refusing  it. 

We  got  to  the  corn  ensilage  Dec.  24  ;  found  it  had  changed  to  a 
light  brown  color,  and  had  an  agreeable  smell,  in  which  I  could  detect 
a  slight  flavor  or  smell  of  alcohol. 

QUES.  —  Please  give  me  your  experience  in  feeding  to  stock,  and 
kind  of  stock. 

ANS. — Previous  to  the  opening  of  the  silo,  I  had  fed  my  milch 
cows  two  fodderings  dry  hay,  one  of  the  rowen,  and  one  of  dry  corn- 
fodder,  per  day,  with  one  quart  corn-meal  and  three  quarts  shorts  per 
cow.  I  then  omitted  the  dry  rowen  and  corn-fodder,  and  gave  two 
fodderings  rowen  ensilage  ;  and  in  three  days  the  cows  increased  one- 
eighth  in  their  flow  of  milk. 

For  experiment,  I  kept  an  accurate  weight  of  the  milk  from  one 
cow.  For  the  week  before  opening  the  silo,  she  gave  an  average  of 
nineteen  pounds  and  three-fourths  per  day  ;  for  the  week  after  open- 
ing the  silo,  an  average  of  twenty-one  pounds  and  a  half  per  day. 

I  then  gave  her  rowen  ensilage  without  any  dry  fodder,  except  the 
meal  and  shorts,  the  same  as  she  had  during  the  season ;  and  she 
gave  an  average  of  twenty-four  pounds  and  a  half  per  day,  for  the 
week,  showing  a  gain  of  four  pounds  and  three-fourth  per  day,  in 
favor  of  ensilage.  The  cows  ate  during  the  week  four  hundred  and 
forty  pounds,  an  average  of  sixty-three  pounds  per  day. 

Jan.  1  we  put  the  cow  that  I  previously  experimented  with  on 
corn  ensilage,  without  any  dry  fodder  except  the  meal  and  shorts. 
She  gave,  for  seven  days,  an  average  of  twenty-five  pounds  per  day : 
she  ate,  during  the  week,  an  average  of  seventy  pounds  per  day  ensi- 
lage. Corn  ensilage  weighs  forty-eight  pounds  per  cubic  foot. 
Rowen  ensilage  weighs  thirty  pounds  per  cubic  foot. 

QUES.  — What  quantity,  and  how  often,  do  you  feed  ensilage? 

ANS.  — My  supply  of  ensilage  being  small,  I  am  unable  to  feed, 
at  the  present  time,  as  much  as  I  should  like ;  but  from  careful  ex- 
periment I  find  my  cows  give  the  most  milk,  and  appear  the  best 
satisfied,  when  fed  the  following  rations  :  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, directly  after  milking,  I  give  each  cow  thirty  pounds  corn 
ensilage,  with  one  quart  cotton-seed  meal ;  at  eight  o'clock,  four 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  GEORGE  L.    CLEMENCE.  43 

I  omuls  dry  hay  to  each  cow  ;  at  noon,  fifteen  pounds  rowen  ensilage  ; 
at  half -past  three,  four  pounds  dry  hay  ;  and  at  six,  thirty  pounds 
corn  ensilage,  with  one  quart  meal  to  each  cow. 

QUES.  —  What  is  the  effect  of  ensilage,  compared  with  hay,  upon 
the  milk  and  butter? 

ANS.  —  The  milk  looks  and  tastes  like  milk  made  in  summer :  the 
butter  is  higher  colored,  and  has  an  excellent  flavor. 

QUES.  —  When  you  first  began  to  feed  your  stock  on  ensilage,  did 
your  cattle  like  it?  Did  they  eat  it  as  though  they  were  hungry 
for  it? 

ANS.  — The  first  time  we  fed  it  to  the  cattle,  they  all  took  readily 
to  it,  except  two  ;  and  they  did  not  refuse  it  more  than  five  minutes. 
The  cattle  now  all  refuse  the  best  English  hay  or  dry  rowen  when 
there  is  any  ensilage  within  their  reach.  The  flow  of  milk  has  kept 
up  the  same  as  when  fed  on  rowen  ensilage. 

QUES.  — What  quantity  of  ensilage  do  you  consider  will  keep  a 
cow  six  months,  or  through  the  season  for  feeding? 

ANS. — I  think  a  cow  can  be  kept  through  the  winter  on  seven 
tons  and  a  half  corn  ensilage,  and  four  hundred  pounds  shorts ; 
but  think  a  cow  would  thrive  the  best,  to  feed  her  five  tons  and  a  half 
of  ensilage,  fourteen  hundred  pounds  hay,  and  five  hundred  pounds 
corn-meal. 

QUES.  —  What  is  the  general  appearance  of  cattle  fed  upon  ensi- 
lage? 

ANS.  —  My  cattle  all  look  better,  and  appear  more  contented,  than 
when  fed  on  dry  fodder. 

QUES.  — What  do  you  consider  the  difference  in  the  cost  of  labor, 
by  feeding  and  caring  for  the  stock,  by  ensilage  and  the  same  by  hay? 

ANS.  —  If  the  silo  is  convenient  to  the  stable,  there  is  no  differ- 
ence. 

QUES.  — In  regard  to  the  success  of  ensilage,  or  preserving  of  our 
green  crops  for  fodder  for  our  stock,  in  what  way  is  it  going  to  be 
of  great  benefit,  profit,  or  saving  to  our  farmers  ? 

ANS.  — First,  it  will  enable  us  to  make  milk  and  butter  in  winter  as 
well  as  summer. 

Second,  it  will  enable  us  to  winter  our  stock  at  one-half  the  expense 
of  dry  fodder. 

Third,  we  can  keep,  on  the  same  amount  of  cultivated  land,  a  much 
larger  stock  of  cattle,  which  will  increase  our  supply  of  manure,  so 
that  our  farms  will  increase  in  fertility  and  value. 


44  H.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  say  that  I  am  so  thoroughly  convinced  that 
ensilage  will  be  of  great  value  to  me,  that  in  the  spring  I  shall  build 
three  silos,  sixteen  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  fifteen  feet  deep. 
Two  of  them  I  shall  fill  with  corn-fodder,  the  third  with  clover  and 
rowen.  ^  I  remain  yours  respectfully, 

GEO.   L.   CLEMENCE. 


CHAPTER   X. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 

IB.    -A-TJSTIItT   _A."VIE:R/5r_ 

SYRACUSE,    N.Y.,   FEB.   5,    1881. 


H.  R.  STEVENS,  Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sir: 

Your  letter  of  29th  ult.  is  received,  and  contents  noted.  I  have 
been  very  busy  since  the  receipt  of  your  letter,  or  I  would  have 
answered  your  numerous  inquiries  earlier.  I  seize  the  opportunity 
to-day  to  reply  to  your  inquiries  seriatim. 

I  consider  the  Mammoth  Sweet  Corn  and  horse-tooth  corn  the  best 
to  plant  for  ensilage. 

I  plant  with  a  drill,  three  feet  apart. 

I  have  considered  the  cost  per  acre  of  raising  the  corn  ready  to 
cut  for  the  silo,  including  the  value  or  worth  of  the  land,  at  seven 
dollars  per  acre. 

Without  actual  measurement  of  the  land,  which  I  considered  was 
eleven  acres,  it  yielded  twenty- two  tons  per  acre. 

This  being  my  first  experience  with  ensilage,  I  have  not  tried  to 
preserve  any  grasses,  or  other  food  than  corn.  This  coming  summer, 
however,  based  on  my  present  experience,  I  intend  to  construct  an- 
other and  larger  silo  than  my  present 'one,  and  preserve  a  large  quan- 
tity of  both  orchard-grass  and  clover,  as  well  as  fill  my  present  silo 
again  with  corn. 

I  used  one  of  Bradley  &  Co.'s  reaping-machines  for  the  purpose  of 
cutting  the  corn,  and  which  did  its  work  in  an  admirable  manner. 
They  are  manufactured  at  Syracuse,  N.Y. 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  B.    AUSTIN  AVERT.  45 

I  am  fully  satisfied  that  ensilage  needs  to  be  cut  fine.  I  would  say, 
under  no  circumstances  cut  more  than  half  an  inch  long. 

I  commenced  cutting  my  corn  about  the  1st  of  September  last,  and 
immediately  conveyed  the  same  to  the  silo,  where,  on  a  platform,  I 
had  erected  two  Daniels  cutting-machines,  run  by  a  small  stationary 
engine,  and  so  arranged  that  the  corn  dropped  into  the  silo  as  it  left 
the  cutters,  where  I  had  men  stationed  to  spread  it  evenly,  and  to 
insure  thorough  packing.  I  introduced  a  pair  of  small  mules  to 
tramp  the  same,  keeping  them  constantly  stirring,  and  close  to  the 
sides  and  ends  of  the  silo.  I  had  men  and  boys  to  tramp  where  the 
mules  could  not  reach. 

My  silo  is  seventy  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  and  twelve  feet 
deep,  containing,  as  per  measurement,  ten  thousand  and  eighty  cubic 
feet,  or  two  hundred  and  forty  tons  at  forty-two  feet  per  ton  ;  and  the 
actual  cost  (exclusive  of  constructing  the  silo)  of  the  ensilage  in 
the  silo  is  sixty  cents  per  ton  ;  and  with  the  benefit  of  last  year's 
experience,  I  feel  confident  I  can  reduce  the  expense  of  again  filling 
the  silo,  at  least  one-third,  making  the  actual  cost  for  the  coming 
year  not  to  exceed  forty  cents  per  ton. 

My  silo  is  constructed  on  a  level  with  the  cow-stalls,  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  barn.  I  think  it  would  be  full  as  well,  if  in  dry  soil, 
that  the  silo  be  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  deep. 

I  am  not  fully  prepared  to  say  that  wood  would  not  answer  the 
purpose  in  constructing  a  .silo  ;  but  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  stone  of 
concrete  is  the  more  available,  with  smooth  sides  to  allow  the  weight 
on  the  top  of  the  silo  to  press  evenly,  and  exclude  all  the  air  pos- 
sible. I  regard  the  short  cutting,  thorough  tramping,  and  heavy 
pressure  on  the  top,  the  great  essentials  in  preserving  the  food  in 
good  condition  to  feed  to  advantage. 

I  opened  my  silo  about  the  1st  of  November  last,  and  commenced 
to  feed  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  out  of  same  at  once.  Not 
one  of  any  kind  of  stock  on  the  farm  refused  it ;  and  all,  with  the 
exception  of  the  pair  of  mules,  ate  it  very  greedily.  (I  think  the 
mules  must  have  been  disgusted  with  the  part  they  were  obliged  to 
play  in  tramping  it. )  Previous  to  opening  the  silo,  I  had  been  feed- 
ing my  cows  on  good  hay ;  and,  after  three  days  feeding  of  ensilage, 
they  had  each  increased,  on  an  average,  a  quart  of  milk  per  day.  I 
commenced  feeding  about  forty  pounds  per  day,  and  increased  to 
about  sixty,  and  just  about  what  they  would  eat  clean  without  waste. 

My  mode  of  feeding  the  ensilage  has  been,  to  take  out  the  same 


46  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

from  the  silo,  and  expose  to  the  air  from  eight  to  ten  hours  before 
feeding,  a  part  of  the  time,  and  then  feeding  direct  from  the  silo 
while  yet  warm.  I  have  found,  by  the  experiment,  that  the  cattle 
enjoy  it  either  way,  and  I  think  perhaps  as  well,  if  not  better,  when 
given  them  directly  from  the  silo,  and  with  full  as  great  advantage  to 
the  stock. 

My  mode  of  feeding  has  been,  in  the  morning,  to  give  a  feed  of 
corn  cut  and  steamed,  which  was  cut  and  left  standing  in  the  field  at 
same  time  the  corn  was  cut  for  the  silo.  This  the  cattle  will  eat  in 
the  morning  very  well.  At  noon  I  give  each  cow  about  sixty  pounds 
of  ensilage,  and  in  the  evening  I  give  a  small  quantity  of  hay  from 
the  mow. 

I  feed  ensilage  without  any  thing  else  -mixed  with  it,  and  obtain 
equally  good  results  as  when  I  fed  hay  and  grain  ;  yet  I  believe 
still  better  results  might  be  obtained  by  feeding  about  three  quarts  of 
oil  or  cotton-seed  meal,  or  corn-meal  and  shorts  :  but  whether  enough 
better  results  might  be  obtained  in  producing  milk,  to  pay  for  the 
expense,  I  doubt ;  but  for  the  laying-on  of  flesh,  or  fattening  for  the 
stall,  I  am  convinced  it  would  pay  well. 

It  certainly  costs  me  one-half  less  labor  to  feed  ensilage  than 
either  hay  or  corn-stalks,  as  ordinarily  cured. 

The  horses,  calves,  milch  cows,  turkeys,  ducks,  and  chickens  (all 
except  the  mules,  true  to  the  very  stubbornness  of  their  nature,  even 
on  ensilage)  have  eaten  it  from  the  very  first,  feed  with  avidity  and 
relish  I  have  seldom  witnessed.  The  turkeys  and  chickens,  etc.,  have 
not  been  fed  an  ounce  of  grain  this  winter,  except  such  as  they  have 
obtained  from  the  silo,  and  a  finer  plumaged  set  of  birds  I  never  saw  ; 
and  I  have  never  succeeded  in  getting  as  fat  turkeys  as  I  now  have, 
even  by  the  most  skilful  feeding. 

The  milch  cows  have  eaten  it  with  equally  great  if  not  even  bettei 
relish  than  the  young  cattle,  and  have  kept  up  their  full  flow  of  milk 
all  the  while. 

I  consider,  from  my  present  experience,  that  from  five  to  five  tons 
and  a  half  of  ensilage,  on  an  average,  will  keep  a  cow  through  six 
months  without  grain,  in  good  fair  condition. 

I  have  now  fed  my  milch  cows  and  young  stock  on  ensilage  since 
the  1st  of  November  last ;  and  I  challenge,  not  only  the  county  of 
Onondaga,  but  the  entire  Empire  State,  to  produce  a  practical  work- 
ing dairy  of  milch  cows,  with  better  forms  and  condition,  brighter, 
healthier  eyes,  softer  skins,  sleeker  coats,  and  more  extended  udders, 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  B.    AUSTIN  AVERT.  41 

than  mine.  Hence,  I  say,  that  ensilage  properly  preserved  is  a  health- 
ful food,  and  very  digestible  ;  and  every  farmer  knows  that  eows  cannot 
maintain  a  full  and  healthy  flow  of  milk,  good  forms  and  general  con- 
dition, sleek  coats,  soft  skins,  and  bright  eyes,  unless  the  food  given 
assimilates,  which  is  necessary  to  produce  the  above  qualities. 

I  do  not  keep  any  sheep  on  my  farm,  and  therefore  cannot  state 
the  cost  of  keeping  same. 

I  have  never  practised  soiling  cattle. 

I  know  of  no  reason  why  cattle  would  not  do  well  fed  on  ensilage 
the  year  round,  with  a  slight  run  at  pasture  occasionally  for  a 
change  ;  although  my  experience,  so  far,  is  limited  by  my  present 
feeding  of  ensilage  this  winter. 

I  have  farmed  it  now  for  over  thirty  years  on  my  present  farm  ; 
and,  for  over  twenty  years,  I  have  never  sold  a  ton  of  hay  off  the 
farm,  having  always  deemed  it  necessary  to  feed  the  same  on  the 
farm  to  keep  up  the  average  flow  of  milk  during  the  winter,  and,  in 
addition,  feed  for  six  months  of  the  year  grain  —  costing  me  never 
less  than  a  hundred  dollars  per  month,  and  often  as  high  as  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  per  month  —  with  this  hay.  This  year  I  have 
already  drawn  to  market  fifty  tons  of  hay,  which  I  have  sold  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  dollars  per  ton,  according  to  quality  and  change  in 
market,  and  intend  to  sell  fifty  tons  more  before  spring,  or  as  soon  as 
I  can  market  it ;  and  have,  since  the  first  day  of  November,  fed  the 
ensilage  without  a  pound  of  grain  of  any  kind  ;  and  my  stock  to-day 
are  certainly  in  as  good,  if  not  better,  condition,  as  any  winter  in 
twenty  years,  when  I  fed  the  grain  and  hay  combined  ;  and  the  flow 
of  milk  is  fully  up  to  the  standard  of  any  period  under  the  old  system 
of  feeding. 

Now,  in  closing  this  letter,  let  me  state  what  I  consider  justly  due 
to  my  friend,  the  Hon.  Daniel  Bookstaver,  ex-mayor  of  Syracuse, 
who  first  gave  me  encouragement  to  build  a  silo,  and  kindly  gave  me 
the  benefit  of  his  extended  reading,  and  a  goodly  portion  of  his  time 
in  supervising  the  construction  and  filling  of  the  silo  ;  and  who  was 
the  only  man  in  the  whole  county  of  Onondaga  who  insisted  upon  it 
that  it  would  be  a  success  ;  and  whose  faith  never  wavered  a  particle, 
when  it  seemed  as  if  not  only  my  neighbors,  but  all  who  came  to  see  it, 
would  go  away  to  publicly  pity  me  that  I  was  making  such  a  fool  of 
myself.  But  Mr.  Bookstaver  always  calmly  replied  to  these  wise 
men,  "  Wait  and  see  :  they  laugh  longest  who  laugh  last ;  "  "It  has 
succeeded  in  France,  it  will  succeed  here;"  and  bolstered  me  up 


48  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON   ENSILAGE. 

always  with  his  invincible  courage  and  belief  ;  and  his  every  prophecy 
in  relation  to  the  silo  has  been  fully  verified,  and  I  am  reaping  the 
benefit  in  a  golden  harvest. 

I  am  fully  convinced  from  my  success,  and  the  number  who  now 
come  to  see  the  silo,  and  watch  the  cattle  as  they  are  fed,  and  their 
surprise  and  conviction  against  their  previous  prejudice,  that  there 
will  be,  instead  of  my  single  silo  in  this  county  another  year,  at  least 
fifty  next  year,  and  in  less  than  five  years  more  than  one  thousand. 

If  the  information  I  have  so  hurriedly  given  you  will  prove  of  any 
benefit  to  my  countrymen,  I  am  only  too  glad  to  have  been  enabled  to 
give  it  to  you. 

Yours,  etc., 

B.  AUSTIN  AVERT. 

It  appears  by  the  statement  of  Mr.  Avery,  the  gain  in  feeding  his 
stock  with  ensilage,  compared  with  former  years,  will  be  the  sale  of 
a  hundred  tons  of  hay,  which  would  average  fifteen  dollars  per  ton 
(fifteen  hundred  dollars)  ;  also  the  saving  of  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars,  the  average  per  month  of  grain,  six  months  (seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty),  making  a  total  of  $2,250  ;  also  the  increased  quantity 
of  milk,  which  was  an  average  of  one  quart  per  day  per  cow,  after 
three  days  feeding,  and  also  saves  one-half  the  labor,  in  feeding  with 
ensilage ;  and  his  cattle  are  in  better  condition  than  they  have  been 
for  twenty  years. 


THE  VALUE  OF  GREEN  FORAGE  CROPS.        49 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  ADVANTAGES  AND   VALUE  OF  GREEN  FORAGE  CROPS  BY  EN- 
SILAGE, OVER  THE  SAME  IN  THEIR  NATURAL  OR  GREEN  STATE. 

BY    IFIROIFIESSOiR,    IMl'lBiR/XTDIEJ. 

ENSILAGE  gives  the  farmer  the  means  of  readily  preserving  such 
crops  in  the  cheapest  and  easiest  manner.  No  other  method  can 
compare  with  it  on  the  score  of  economy.  Goffart,  in  an  itemized 
statement,  shows  that  the  cost  of  gathering  and  "ensilaging"  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  Indian  corn  does  not  exceed  twenty 
cents  per  ton.  His  laborers,  men  and  women,  cost  him  from  twenty 
cents  to  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  each  by  the  day.  Another 
French  agriculturist,  M.  de  Beauquesnc,  puts  the  cost  at  twenty 
cents  for  the  long  ton,  2,250  pounds.  Both  these  gentlemen  use 
steam-power.  Another,  who  uses  horse-power,  estimates  the  cost  at 
sixty  cents  for  the  long  ton.  Dr.  Bailey  states  that  the  cost  of  cutting 
down  the  corn,  hauling  it  to  the  cutter,  cutting  it  up,  and  packing  it 
in  the  silo,  was  not  far  from  seventy-five  cents.  The  same  work  at 
the  University  farm  costs  sixty-eight  and  three-fourths  cents  per  ton. 
We  put  up  about  seventeen  tons  :  the  labor  was  charged  at  seventy- 
five  cents  per  day  for  each  hand.  It  should  also  be  observed  that  the 
cutting  is  properly  no  part  of  the  cost :  it  should  be  done  whether 
the  corn  is  green  or  dry,  as  a  measure  of  economy,  to  avoid  waste  in 
feeding,  and  to  save  the  animal  as  much  muscular  exertion  in  the  act 
of  eating  as  possible.  It  can  be  done  cheaper,  once  for  all,  than 
from  day  to  day,  as  required  by  the  usual  practice  of  feeding.  Third, 
the  value  of  the  food  so  preserved  is  beyond  all  question.  It  comes 
out  of  the  silo  green  and  succulent,  and  as  fresh  as  when  first  put 
in,  —  the  slight  changes  which  it  undergoes  being  all  for  the  better. 
After  repeated  trials,  under  various  conditions,  and  with  different 
kinds  of  stock,  many  French  farmers  declare  that  three  hundred 
pounds,  not  a  few  that  two  hundred  pounds,  of  this  ensilage,  are  fully 
equal  to  one  hundred  pounds  of  the  very  best  hay.  Goffart  (and 


50  //.    ft.    STEVENS   ON   ENSILAGE. 

after  him  Dr.  Bailey)  draws  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  given  weight 
of  grass,  amply  sufficient  when  green  to  fatten  an  animal,  will  hardly 
suffice  to  keep  him  alive  when  it  is  cured  up  into  even  first-class  hay  ; 
that  grass  fattens,  while  hay  will  not ;  that  grass  gives  rich  milk  and 
golden  butter,  hay  inferior  milk  and  pale,  insipid  butter ;  that  the 
odor  of  a  new-mown  meadow  shows  that  the  elements  of  nutrition  are 
escaping  from  the  grass  during  the  process  of  desiccation. 

Such  observations,  however,  are  neither  new  nor  original.  More 
than  thirty  years  ago  Bousingault  observed  of  the  value  of  green 
food,  "  Breeders  have  long  suspected  that  green  fodder  is  more 
nutritious  than  dry ;  that  grass,  clover,  etc.,  lose  nutritious  matter  by 
being  made  into  hay." 

That  the  thing  is  so,  in  fact,  appears  to  have  been  demonstrated 
by  a  skilful  agriculturist,  M.  Perrault  de  Jotemps,  who  found  that 
nine  pounds  of  green  lucerne  were  quite  equal  in  foddering  sheep  to 
three  and  three-tenths  pounds  of  the  same  forage  made  into  hay  ; 
whilst  he  at  the  same  time  ascertained  that  nine  pounds  of  greeii 
lucerne  would  not,  on  an  average,  yield  more  than  two  and  two- 
hundredths  pounds  of  hay.  In  allowing  each  sheep  three  and  threev 
tenths  pounds  of  lucerne  hay  as  its  ration,  consequently,  it  was  as  U 
the  animal  had  had  fourteen  and  thirty- four  hundredths,  or  more  than 
fourteen  and  one-fourth  pounds  of  the  green  vegetable,  for  its  allow^ 
ance.  These  practical  facts  are  obviously  of  great  importance  :  thej 
prove,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  that  the  belief  of  agriculturist* 
in  general,  as  to  the  immense  advantages  of  consuming  clover  anc\ 
lucerne  (and  he  might  well  add  Indian  corn),  "  as  green  meat,  is  well 
founded."  Green-corn  forage  is  not  a  perfect  or  concentrated  food, 
si  large  amount  being  required  to  sustain  life ;  still,  as  experience 
demonstrates,  it  is  a  very  valuable  one,  and  its  cheapness  allows  of 
its  being  fed  in  large  quantities.  Analysis,  not  always  a  safe  guide, 
supports  the  conclusions  of  practical  men.  In  the  following  table  the 
first  two  analyses,  of  green  corn  and  ensilage  from  the  silo  of  Dr. 
Bailey,  are  by  Professor  Goessman,  of  the  Massachusetts  Agricul- 
tural College;  the  others,  of  French  maize  and  ensilage,  by  M. 
Grandeau,  director  of  one  of  the  leading  experimental  stations  of 
France :  — 


THE  VALUE  OF  GREEN  FORAGE  CROPS. 


51 


pj   Q, 

N  ^ 

a 

N 

.^3       ^       Q       C* 

!i 

I'S 

o 

P  — 

s  i^  ^ 

S_o 

M 

•^'tt 

ao       ^ 

11  i 

R'!  P  2 

•sj 

||| 

S>  ?« 

—  •«  «   0 

i21 

111 

11 

111 

Is'i? 

< 

W 

s 

M 

M 

Water 

85.04 

80.70 

86.20 

81.28 

60.71 

Crude  cellulose. 

4.53 

0.43 

3.07 

4.91 

8.70 

Fats   .... 

0.26 

0.62 

0.18 

0.36 

1.50 

Ash    

0.82 

1.77 

0.95 

2.25 

8.43 

Non-nitrogenous  matters 

8.49 

8.92 

8.10 

9.73 

16.48 

Nitrogenous  matters 
Acid 

0.86 

1.56 

0.90 

1.24 
0.23 

3.74 
0.44 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  American  samples  of  green  corn  and  ensi- 
lage compare  very  favorably  with  the  European.  European  feeding- 
stuffs  generally  show  higher  percentages  of  nutritive  elements  than 
the  American.  The  sample  of  American  ensilage  is  richer  than  the 
French  in  albuminoids.  In  both  the  value  of  the  process  is  clearly 
shown  in  the  increased  richness  of  the  food. 

It  is  contended  by  some,  that  the  process  of  ensilage  cannot  change 
the  character  of  the  material  used,  or  make  corn  richer.  But  such  a 
change  really  occurs.  All  persons  acquainted  with  chemistry  know< 
that,  of  two  substances  identically  alike  in  composition,  one  may  b<? 
nutritious  and  the  other  not.  Crude  cellulose,  like  the  lint  of  cotton, 
cotton  or  woollen  rags,  saw-dust,  paper,  etc.,  are  rather  unpalatable, 
as  well  as  indigestible,  articles  of  food  for  man  ;  and  yet  their  treat- 
ment with  sulphuric  acid  converts  then  into  glucose,  or  molasses,  an 
article  in  daily  use  on  our  tables.  Such  transformations  take  place 
in  the  corn  subjected  to  ensilage,  according  to  Grandeau  :  parts  of  the 
starch  and  celullose  are  transformed  into  sugar,  and  the  albuminoids 
are  increased  at  the  expense  of  the  carbo-hydrates.  The  subsequent 
fermentation  on  exposure  to  air  imparts  to  the  corn  an  acidity  or 
alcoholic  taste  very  acceptable  to  animals.  Any  thing  sour  is  not 
only  more  relished,  but,  such  is  the  part  played  by  the  imagination 
in  digestion,  also  more  nutritious.  Again,  the  softness  of  the  food 
saves  the  muscular  exertion  in  mastication. 

The  French  committee  already  referred  to  in  their  report  dated 
April,  1875,  observe  that  the  cows  of  Goffart  had  been  fed  exclu- 
sively on  ensilage  during  the  winter.  "  We  were  struck  by  the  healthy 
appearance  of  the  twenty-eight  or  thirty  cows :  their  eyes  were 


52  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

bright,  their  skin  soft,  and  they  were  in  good  condition.  But  the 
point  that  above  all  attracted  our  attention  was  the  sucking  calves, 
which  are  the  most  delicate,  and  always  the  first  to  suffer  from  any 
deficient  or  bad  food  given  to  their  mothers.  We  did  not  see  a  single 
one  that  had  hair  in  bad  condition,  or  that  was  scouring.  The 
fodder  that  produced  this  excellent  result  contained  neither  salt  nor 
oil-cake,  and  one  would  naturally  inquire  if  it  would  be  sufficient  in 
all  cases.  For  very  good  milkers  it  would  be  necessary  to  add  some 
meal  or  oil-cake  to  the  rations  of  maize  which  we  saw  distributed, 
and  which  weighed  about  sixty-one  pounds  per  day ;  but  for  the  cows 
in  the  stable  of  M.  Goffart,  weighing  alive  eight  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds  to  eleven  hundred  pounds,  this  ration  seemed  to  be  sufficient 
for  them  and  their  calves." 

It  is  contended  by  no  one  that  ensilage  will  fatten  an  animal :  it 
must  be  enriched  by  the  addition  of  nitrogenous  matters,  or  the 
albuminoids,  furnished  by  corn-meal,  wheat-bran,  ship-stuff,  oil-cake, 
etc.  A  successful  Scotch  farmer,  Mr.  Hunter,  settled  in  Hanover 
County,  Virginia,  fed  twice  daily  to  each  of  his  twenty  head  of 
fattening  steers,  two  quarts  of  corn-meal,  and  a  bushel  basket  of 
ensilage  (about  twenty-seven  pounds).  The  effects  of  this  ration 
were  exceedingly  marked  and  satisfactory  :  the  animals  making  rapid 
and  large  gains  during  the  continuance  of  the  experiment,  which 
lasted  six  weeks.  It  would  seem,  therefore,  that  from  fifty-five  to 
sixty-five  pounds  of  ensilage  (corn)  daily  to  the  thousand  pounds 
of  live  weight  will  be  abundantly  sufficient  to  keep  animals  in  good 
store  condition,  and  that  forty-five  to  fifty  pounds  mixed  with  three 
or  four  pounds  of  corn-meal  will  rapidly  fatten  them.  Its  effects 
upon  the  flow  of  milk  have  been  remarked  on  by  all  writers  on  the 
subject.  The  general  testimony  of  dairymen  is,  that  no  feeding- 
stuff  will  compare  with  green  Indian  corn  in  increasing  the  yield  of 
milk  :  it  is  decidedly  superior  to  roots. 

Hence  an  abundant  supply  of  such  food  in  greatly  improved  con- 
dition, during  the  winter  months,  is  so  great  and  so  obvious  as  to 
challenge  the  attention  of  every  one.  In  this  great  department  of 
agriculture,  dairying,  it  indeed  promises  a  revolution. 

Another  advantage  of  no  small  importance  to  the  farmer  is,  that 
by  this  process  he  is  rendered  comparatively  independent  of  the 
weather.  He  knows,  to  his  cost,  the  trouble  and  worry  of  hay- 
making, —  how  that  his  crop  may  be  seriously  damaged,  perhaps 
destroyed,  by  a  single  day's  rain.  In  this  process,  he  would  almost 


THE  VALUE  OF  GREEN  FORAGE  CROPS.       53 

welcome  rain,  in  moderate  quantity,  as  much  as  in  hay-making  he 
would  dread  it.  The  secret  of  the  process  lies  in  the  thorough  ex- 
clusion of  air  from  the  vegetable  mass  in  the  pit,  or  silo.  The  tissues 
of  which  all  plants  are  composed  are  made  up  of  minute  closed  cells, 
or  elongated  tubes  of  very  small  calibre :  these  are  hollow  within, 
and  the  cavities  must  be  filled  either  with  air  or  water.  When  the 
plant  is  fresh  and  green,  it  is  surcharged  with  moisture  which  pene- 
trates its  tissues,  and  fills  these  cavities :  when  wilted,  the  water 
escapes  by  evaporation,  and  air  takes  its  place.  This  air  is  retained 
with  great  tenacity,  and  its  expulsion  is  a  matter  of  much  difficulty. 
Hence  the  importance  of  packing  away  the  corn,  or  other  green 
matter,  in  as  fresh  and  succulent  a  condition  as  possible,  and  the 
advisability  of  sprinkling  it  writh  water  if  wilted,  in  order  to  keep  it 
moist,  and  so  prevent  the  entrance  of  air. 

Again,  in  a  dry  spring  the  hay  crop  may  fail ;  but  corn  can  be  sown 
at  any  time,  in  this  latitude,  between  the  middle  of  May  and  10th  of 
July,  and,  if  need  be,  in  continued  succession.  Very  rarely  is  the 
whole  season  unpropitious  :  if  the  spring  is  too  dry,  the  late  summer 
is  more  favorable  :  hence,  with  such  a  crop  as  corn,  the  chances  are 
greatly  multiplied. 


54  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON   ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


OA.IFT_    GK 

ESSEX,  VT.;  FEB.  2,  1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir : 

I  am  glad  you  are  starting  to  do  something  towards  giving  farmers 
reliable,  practical  information  on  the,  to  them,  most  important  matter, 
the  preservation  of  green  crops  in  silos  for  ensilage.  I  receive  many 
letters  from  the  South,  in  fact,  from  all  parts  of  Florida,  Alabama, 
Georgia,  New  York,  Maine,  and  Vermont,  —  all  wanting  the  same 
information  you  propose  giving  to  them.  I  am  an  old  sea-captain  ; 
was  placed  on  the  retired  list  a  few  years  ago,  after  forty-five  years 
of  seafaring  life ;  and  all  I  know  about  farming  had  to  be  learned 
from  the  agricultural  papers.  Two  years  ago  I  first  read  Mr.  Mor- 
ris's report,  of  Maryland,  about  silos  :  I  concluded  to  dig  one  in  the 
ground.  I  dug  a  trench  four  feet  wide,  and  about  as  deep,  extending 
it  to  hold  what  I  had  of  sowed  corn  on  a  half-acre,  packing  it  into 
the  trench  without  cutting,  rounded  up  the  top,  put  a  length  of  boards 
on  lengthwise,  put  on  a  few  stones,  then  ploughed  and  shovelled  dirt 
on  to  the  pile,  well  rounded  up  to  make  it  shed  water ;  opened  in 
winter,  and  found  it  preserved  perfectly,  except  at  the  upper  corners, 
where  it  was  badly  frozen  ;  but  the  cows  ate  it  all  up  clean.  Last 
year  I  saw  Dr.  Bailey's  letter,  also  Mr.  Potter's,  on  silos  ;  and,  out 
of  the  stone  of  an  old  wall  about  the  barnyard,  I  built  a  silo  sixty- 
three  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  nine  feet  high,  with  partition- wall 
in  the  centre  :  wall  laid  up  dry,  and  pointed  with  lime-mortar  outside, 
and  banked  up  six  feet  all  around,  pointed  and  plastered  with  lime 
inside,  with  cement  floor.  My  reason  for  building  it  so  long  was  that 
I  struck  water  after  excavating  four  feet  near  the  barn,  and  I  feared 
it  would  trouble  me,  so  I  lengthened  it  out  into  dryer  ground  ;  but  I 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  CAPT.    G.   MORTON.  55 

am  happy  to  say,  the  cement  floor  kept  out  the  water,  and  I  shall  this 
year  build  it  to  twelve  feet  high,  and  finish  by  a  good  lot  of  cement 
on  the  inside  walls.  The  cheap  way  of  building  a  silo  has  demon- 
strated that  any  farmer  can  build  a  stone  wall  with  inside  smooth, 
bank  up  against  it  so  as  to  keep  the  air  from  sides,  put  on  plenty  of 
weight,  at  least  half  a  ton  to  square  yard,  and  he  has  a  silo  that  wall 
preserve  fodder  as  well  as  a  more  expensive  one  for  the  first  year  or 
two  ;  and  he  will  then  have  a  good  foundation  to  build  higher  as  he 
wishes.  Of  course,  the  proper  principle  to  build  on  is  two  alongside, 
the  central  wall  answering  for  both ;  which  I  intend  to  do  another 
year. 

My  method  for  raising  corn-fodder  is  to  haul  thirty  tons  of  manure 
to  acre,  and  plough  it  under,  four  inches  deep  ;  then  thirty  tons  more, 
and  well  harrowed  in ;  and  plant  as  early  as  we  do  for  corn,  in  this 
climate,  latter  part  of  May  to  middle  of  June,  with  a  planter,  in  drills 
about  two  feet  apart,  and  three  kernels  to  the  foot  in  the  drill.  I 
should  also  say,  and  very  important  it  is,  to  use  phosphate.  I  used 
Bradley 's  in  the  drill,  at  the  rate  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  to 
acre,  to  give  it  a  start,  and  as  much  more  sowed  broadcast ;  for  I  have 
found  out  that  I  can  raise  as  much  from  one  acre  well  manured  and 
cultivated  as  from  three  half  done.  I  use  no  other  cultivation  after 
planting  than  the  Thomas  smoothing-harrow,  and  go  over  the  ground 
once  a  week,  after  planting  and  before  coming  up,  without  regard  to 
rows  :  harrow  as  if  there  was  nothing  planted  until  the  corn  is  a  foot 
high.  The  whole  cost  by  this  method  will  not  exceed  five  dollars  per 
acre,  ready  for  cutting  up.  Average  quantity  per  acre  last  year,  thirty 
tons.  Half  of  it  was  not  manured  :  the  best  part  averaged  seventy- 
five  tons  to  the  acre,  and  taught  me  to  make  the  ground  rich.  I  used 
with  best  results  Blunt' s  Prolific  and  Southern  White,  called  the 
"  horse-tooth."  It  will  take,  as  I  planted,  about  five  pecks  to  the  acre, 
put  into  silo  what  grew  on  two  acres.  The  best  machine,  by  all  odds, 
that  I  used,  and  I  had  three  of  them,  is  a  Baldwin  cutter.  Mine  is  No. 
14,  costing  sixty  dollars,  plenty  large  for  a  common  farm.  I  cut  into 
one- fourth  inch  cuts  ;  and,  when  cooked  in  the  silo,  it  comes  out  soft 
and  delicious.  I  have  anticipated  your  question  about  my  experience 
with  filling  silos.  The  cost  per  ton  did  not  exceed  fifty  cents  from 
the  seed  until  thoroughly  packed  in  silo.  The  best  form  to  build  is 
undoubtedly  deep  and  short ;  but  we  must  be  governed  by  the  circum- 
stances and  location.  Stone,  I  think,  is  best  and  cheapest  when  they 
can  be  had  ;  next,  brick  and  cement.  About  here,  where  stone  is 


56  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

plenty,  whole  cost  of  mine  was  about  a  hundred  dollars.  I  would 
not  recommend  plank  ;  for  I  find,  where  the  plank  comes  in  contact 
with  the  ensilage,  it  is  decomposed  three  inches.  I  opened  my  silo 
6th  of  last  November,  and  found  the  preservation  perfect.  All  the 
stock  took  hold  of  it  at  once  as  if  they  were  hungry  ;  and  horse,  cows, 
yearling  calves,  and  shotes  have  eaten  since  with  increased  relish. 

I  saw  to-day  the  calves  picking  the  bits  of  ensilage  up,  instead  of 
meal  fed  with  it.  Not  having  enough  ensilage  to  winter  all  my  stock, 
I  have,  since  the  first  month,  fed  corn-meal  and  bran  :  mixed  seventy 
pounds  per  day  to  the  twenty-seven  head,  —  thirteen  cows,  eight  year- 
lings, six  calves,  five  shotes,  and  one  horse.  When  fed  alone  I  gave 
forty  to  sixty  pounds  to  cows,  and  in  proportion  to  young  cattle,  one 
bushel  to  the  swine,  with  one-tenth  corn-meal  and  bran,  and  increased 
quantity  of  grain  until  I  now  feed  to  the  whole  stock,  including  horse, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  ensilage,  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds 
corn  meal  and  bran,  a  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of  hay  cut  fine, 
same  as  I  cut  the  ensilage,  the  whole  mixed  up  in  a  mess  for  the 
twenty-four  hours,  at  night ;  and  all  the  cattle  are  in  extra  good 
order.  This  has  been  remarked  by  the  many,  at  least  a  hundred, 
that  have  been  to  visit  the  silo  this  winter,  I  being  pioneer  in  the  new 
departure  in  these  parts.  Before  I  forget  it  I  wish  to  say  that  cutting 
my  hay  fine  has  reduced  the  quantity  of  both  it  and  ensilage  one-half. 
I  learned  this  from  reading  an  article  in  "  The  Country  Gentleman," 
where  a  farmer  had  cut  hay  for  twenty-five  years  with  same  result ; 
and  the  advanced  thinkers  amongst  those  who  have  been  here  con- 
sider this  cutting  hay  and  straw,  and  mixing  all  together,  a  very  im- 
portant matter. 

The  long  time  that  I  have  fed  in  this  way  satisfies  me  that  it  is  an 
excellent  plan  to  feed  ensilage.  I  am  still  milking  seven  of  the  cows, 
and  they  give  more  than  they  did  on  the  6th  of  November,  when  I 
commenced  feeding  ensilage ;  milk  and  cream  looks  like  it  did  in 
June,  as  does  the  butter.  I  use  the  language  of  a  leading  farmer,  a 
few  days  since,  when  examining  the  butter :  it  goes  to  a  grocer  who 
supplies  the  officers  of  the  Boston  Navy-yard.  It  netted  us  thirty- 
three  and  one-third  cents  per  pound,  when  other  best  winter  butter 
was  selling  for  twenty-two  to  twenty-six. 

I  wish  also  to  state  that  as  soon  as  I  commenced  feeding  ensilage 
the  cows  doubled  their  milk.  Please  bear  in  mind  that  I  had  fed 
green  fodder  night  and  morning,  from  middle  of  July,  and  after  Sep- 
tember two  quarts  of  meal  and  bran,  the  pastures  being  dry.  Of 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  CAPT.    G.   NORTON.  57 

course  nothing  but  the  ensilage  could  have  made  this  difference.  My 
wife,  who  has  made  butter  on  this,  the  old  homestead,  for  forty  years, 
says  she  never  saw  cows  give  such  a  quantity  of  milk  in  winter.  Last 
winter  I  fed  the  same  quantity  of  meal  with  hay,  and  the  cows  were 
all  dry  before  January  ;  and  yet,  with  all  these  facts,  I  have  neighbors 
who  will  advocate  feeding  corn  in  the  bundle,  without  husking,  so 
tenacious  are  some  people  of  old  customs.  I  told  a  man  to-day, 
44  Why,  you  might  just  as  well  have  told  me,  when  I  was  master  at 
sea,  to  heave  shingles  overboard,  to  find  my  way  back  with,  instead 
of  using  sextant  and  chronometer." 

I  take  the  ensilage  out  of  silo  any  time  of  day,  sometimes  feed 
immediately  after  taking  out.  I  don't  see  any  difference  in  its  effects, 
and  cattle  like  it  equally  well  either  way. 

One  part  of  silo,  when  I  had  a  heavy  weight  of  stone, — three- 
fourths  ton  to  square  yard,  —  it  was  very  little  acid  ;  and  even  what  I 
am  now  feeding  has  a  pleasant  smell  and  taste.  I  think  ensilage  is 
worth  as  much,  ton  for  ton,  as  hay  fed  with  grain  as  I  am  now  feed- 
ing, better  than  either  alone.  I  intend  to  put  into  our  silo  this  spring, 
or  by  the  first  of  June,  green  rye,  oats,  and  grass  enough  to  fill  it 
for  summer  and  fall  feeding,  and  plant  corn  after.  I  shall  then  have 
my  first  crop  to  put  into  the  other  silo  in  August,  and  also  plant  our 
small  corn  after  haying,  to  help  fill  in.  I  intend  to  build  the  other 
silo,  giving  me  three,  and  keep  cows  up  nights,  feeding  twice  in 
summer.  I  am  satisfied  that  other  crops,  with  grass  mixed  with  the 
ensilage,  will  supply  its  deficiencies  and  stop  the  everlasting  going 
to  mill ;  from  my  experience  this  winter,  I  think  forty  pounds  of 
mixed  ensilage  (I  mean  put  into  silo  green)  per  day,  for  average- 
sized  cows,  will  keep  them  fat  the  year  round.  I  know  I  have  some 
small  cows  that  do  not  need  that  quantity  of  ensilage  alone,  and  they 
are  the  best  milkers  in  the  stable.  The  cattle  all  like  it  better  than  the 
best  of  June-cut  hay :  this  I  have  proved  many  times,  by  seeing  hay 
left,  but  ensilage  never.  I  will  repeat  that  our  cattle  look  better  than 
ever  before,  when  fed  on  hay  and  grain  ;  and  such  experienced  farmers 
as  Talcot  and  Whitney  of  Williston,  and  Taylor  in  charge  of  Col. 
Cannon's  stock  farm  of  Burlington,  said  they  had  not  seen  any  stock 
looking  better,  and  few  as  well,  this  winter.  I  give  the  credit  entirely 
to  ensilage,  for  I  had  no  more  meal  than  usual.  I  learned  long  since 
that  we  cannot  expect  something  from  nothing,  and,  by  reading  as  well 
as  observation,  that  the  farmers  who  are  in  the  advance  are  those 
who  feed  stock  well.  In  conclusion,  I  would  only  say  to  farmers, 


58  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

Go  on,  and  build  your  silos,  and  you  will  be  as  enthusiastic  as  those 
who  have  already  tried  it.  I  am  keeping  three  times  the  number  of 
cattle  that  was  ever  before  kept  on  this,  the  old  homestead ;  and  I 
could  have  had  one  hundred  tons  more,  without  interfering  with  my 
other  farming,  by  simply  planting  five  acres  more  of  common  corn 
after  haying. 

Respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

CAPT.  G.  MORTON, 

Essex,  Vt. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


REPORT  FROM 

:MI:R/.  CL.A_:R,:EC 

POMPTON,  KJ. 
FOB  NEW  YORK  TRIBUNE,  Feb.  12,  1881. 


REVOLUTION  IN  DAIRY  FARMING. 

ENSILAGE  used  for  food  instead  of  hay.  Successful  experiments 
near  Pompton,  N.J. 

No  proposed  change  in  time-honored  methods  of  agriculture  has 
excited  so  deep  an  interest  among  progressive  farmers  as  the  recent 
experiments  in  preserving  green  forage  crops  in  silos,  or  cement- 
lined  pits.  One  of  the  earliest  adventurers  in  this  new  field  was  Mr. 
Clark  W.  Mills,  of  Arrareek  Farm,  near  Pompton,  N.J.  ;  and  his 
silos  are  now  as  extensive  as  any  in  the  county,  and  this  success  last 
year  was  so  encouraging  that  he  is  now  wintering  one  hundred  and 
twenty  head  of  horned  cattle  and  twelve  horses,  without  a  pound  of 
hay ;  and  he  is  confident  that  he  will  bring  his  entire  stock  through 
until  May  weather  furnishes  grazing.  His  store  of  ensilage  (or 
"cow-kraut,"  as  facetious  farmers  style  the  preserved  fodder)  was 
gathered  from  less  than  thirteen  acres  of  land ;  and  it  is  simply  the 
stalks  of  Indian  corn,  cut  when  green  into  half -inch  lengths,  and 


REPORT  OF  CLARK    W.    MILLS.  59 

packed  in  silos,  under  pressure  so  tightly  as  to  exclude  the  air.  Mr. 
Mills  estimates  the  entire  cost  of  his  supply  of  about  six  hundred 
tons,  including  seed,  tillage,  gathering,  cutting  and  packing  ready  for 
feeding,  at  less  than  five  hundred  dollars  ;  and  when  it  is  remembered 
that  a  sufficient  amount  of  hay  to  answer  the  same  purpose  would 
have  cost  something  like  seventy-five  hundred  dollars,  the  value  of 
the  new  process  will  be  recognized. 

Yesterday  a  number  of  gentlemen  from  various  parts  of  New  Jer- 
sey visited  Arrareek  Farm  to  make  a  personal  inspection  of  the 
method  of  preparing  the  ensilage,  and  its  results.  In  the  party 
were  the  Hon.  James  Bishop,  chief  of  the  State  Bureau  of  Statis- 
tics ;  Professor  George  H.  Cook,  of  the  Agricultural  College,  and 
State  Geologist ;  Theodore  West,  superintendent,  and  A.  T.  Neale, 
chemist  of  the  State  Experimental  Farm,  besides  several  prominent 
stock-raisers,  like  Messrs.  Holly  and  Ahrens  of  Plainfield ;  Nelson 
of  New  Brunswick ;  Ridgeway,  Hutchinson,  and  Taylor  of  Burling- 
ton County.  In  the  barn,  which  is  eighty  feet  long,  there  was  not  a 
wisp  of  hay,  but  two  pits,  each  forty  feet  long,  thirteen  feet  wide, 
and  twenty  feet  deep,  with  strictly  perpendicular  walls  of  concrete. 
One  silo  had  been  emptied  ;  and  from  the  other  a  section  of  the  cover 
had  been  removed,  and  the  ensilage  cut  out  to  the  bottom,  having  a 
perpendicular  wall  for  inspection. 

Mr.  Mills  has  found,  by  experiment,  that  the  freshly-cut  maize  can 
be  compressed  in  volume  nearly  one-half ;  and  therefore  he  places  a 
frame  of  plank  fifteen  feet  high,  and  of  the  same  width  and  length 
of  the  silo,  upon  the  concrete  wall,  and  fills  the  space  to  the  top  of  the 
wocden  feeder.  Upon  the  mass  a  cover  of  plank  is  placed,  loaded 
with  heavy  weights  ;  and  in  a  few  days  the  cover  will  have  pressed  the 
mass  below  the  mouth  of  the  pit,  on  a  level  with  the  floor  when  the 
frame  is  removed.  The  cover  is  of  two-inch  plank,  made  in  sections 
of  four  feet  in  width  ploughed  and  grooved,  firmly  battened,  with  the 
battens  of  each  section  projecting,  and  fitting  into  those  of  the  next 
one,  so  that,  under  equally  distributed  weight,  the  whole  moves  down- 
ward together.  The  sections  are  an  inch  shorter  than  the  width  of 
the  pit,  leaving  a  space  for  air  and  gases  to  escape  as  the  cover  is 
pressed  downward.  The  weight  used  is  about  fifty  tons  of  grain  in 
sacks,  which  is  ground  for  feed  as  it  is  taken  from  each  section. 

The  ensilage  yesterday  inspected  was  perfectly  preserved,  from  the 
top  layer  to  the  bottom.  When  cut  from  the  solid  mass  it  is  of  a 
brownish-green  color,  and  the  juices  have  a  slightly  acid  taste.  It 


60  H.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

has  gone  through  no  "  heating  "  process  ;  but,  before  feeding,  it  is  laid 
in  a  heap  for  a  few  days,  to  ferment  slightly,  when  it  emits  a  pleasant 
vinous  aroma.  The  cattle  devour  it  eagerly ;  and  their  appearance 
seems  to  prove  that  it  is  healthful,  while  the  abundant  milk  they 
produce  is  of  the  best  quality. 

Mr.  Mills  feeds  less  grain  than  farmers  ordinarily  use  in  hay- fed 
dairies.  A  tall  variety  of  Southern  corn  is  planted  closely  in  drills  ; 
and  it  is  cut  after  the  tassel  appears,  and  the  ears  begin  to  set.  Pro- 
fessor Cook,  who  has  analyzed  ensilage  from  a  dozen  localities,  pro- 
nounces the  Pompton  product  of  the  first  quality  ;  and  he  thinks  the 
various  devices  here  used  have  reduced  the  system  to  a  state  ap- 
proaching perfection.  All  the  experts  present  were  convinced  that 
the  new  process  would  work  something  like  a  revolution  in  dairy- 
farming  and  stock-raising ;  which  will  be  readily  believed  when  it  is 
remembered  that  more  than  thirty  million  tons  of  hay  are  now  needed 
every  year  to  supply  the  horses  and  cattle  of  the  country  through  our 
long  Northern  winters. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


IDIR,.    L.   -W.    OUIR/rXS- 

GLOBE  VILLAGE,   MASS.,   JAN.   7,   1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir: 

Your  request  has  been  received  :  but  if  I  were  not  much  interested 
in  silos,  and  believe  they  are  to  renovate  the  New-England  farms, 
I  should  hesitate  to  answer  so  many  questions,  as  it  taxes  a  tired  brain 
to  write,  while  it  is  just  fun  to  go  to  the  barn  and  see  the  cows  eat 
ensilage ;  but,  believing  they  are  to  add  millions  to  the  farmers  of 
New  England,  I  accept  your  invitation,  and  proceed  to  answer  your 
questions  in  detail. 

QUES.  —  What  is  your  method  of  planting  and  raising  corn-fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  DR.   L.    \V.    CURTIS.  61 

ANS.  —  I  have  usually  planted  my  fodder-corn  between  the  rows  of 
early  peas,  cabbages,  and  potatoes,  and,  when  those  crops  were  taken 
off,  run  a  cultivator  or  horse-hoe  between  the  rows  once  only.  Never 
put  a  hoe  into  a  field  of  fodder-corn.  Last  summer  we  ploughed  up 
some  where  the  grass  had  been  taken  off,  put  some  manure  in  the 
rows,  and  planted  July  14  ;  cultivated  with  horse-hoe  once,  and  had 
a  good  crop.  Last  fall,  after  I  took  off  my  fodder-corn,  I  sowed 
winter  rye,  which  I  shall  put  in  my  silo,  and  then  plant  with  fodder- 
corn.  I  think  farmers  should  aim  for  two  crops  a  year. 

QUES.  —  What  time  of  year  do  you  think  best  to  plant  for  ensilage? 

ANS.  —  Should  sow  fodder- corn  from  June  10  to  July  4,  or  even 
later. 

QUES.  — About  how  much  do  you  plant  an  acre? 

ANS.  — I  have  usually  planted  one  and  a  half  bushels  to  the  acre, 
but  think  it  will  stand  up  better,  and  perhaps  do  as  well,  to  plant  only 
one  bushel  of  the  Southern  White,  but  more  of  any  other  kind.  I 
have  planted  thick,  so  the  stalks  would  not  be  too  large. 

QUES. — How  much  corn- fodder  for  ensilage  do  you  think  is  an 
average  yield  per  acre  ? 

ANS. — I  think  we  can  raise  from  thirty  to  fifty  tons  to  the  acre, 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  ground. 

QUES.  — Do  you  plant  or  raise  any  grains  or  grasses  for  ensilage? 

ANS.  — I  put  in  my  field  corn-fodder  first,  mostly  mixed  with  corn- 
fodder  ;  next  came  Hungarian,  and  finally  rowen. 

QUES.  — What  do  you  think  is  the  best  machine  for  cutting  corn- 
fodder? 

ANS.  — I  do  not  think  there  is  much  difference  between  a  Baldwin 
or  Lyons  machine.  I  think  either  will  do  good  work.  My  preference 
would  be  for  the  ' '  Silver  and  Deming. ' '  I  have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion it  stands  at  the  head. 

QUES.  —  What  length  do  you  consider  most  suitable  to  cut  corn- 
fodder? 

ANS.  —  Should  cut  it  two-fifths  of  an  inch  long. 

QUES.  — Will  you  give  me  your  experience  with  silos? 

ANS.  — My  silo  is  built  on  the  back  side  of  my  barn,  the  top  being 
on  a  level  with  the  floor  where  my  cows  stand.  To  get  fourteen  feet, 
I  had  to  excavate  about  four  feet.  As  I  had  no  time  to  draw  stones, 
and  had  a  sand  and  gravel  bank  within  ten  rods,  I  built  my  walls  of 
stone,  gravel,  sand,  and  cement,  —  three  parts  cement,  four  parts 
sand,  and  one  gravel.  In  commencing  I  found  I  was  using  too  line 


62  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

sand,  and  finally  discarded  the  use  of  sand,  and  used  gravel,  size  of 
a  pea  down  to  very  coarse  sand.  I  also  found  that  some  barrels  of 
cement  were  not  good  ;  which  makes  a  great  difference  in  the  setting 
of  cement,  gravel,  etc.  I  shall  build  two  more  silos  the  coming  sum- 
mer. There  are  many  farmers  who  have  no  gravel  near,  and  have  a 
good  place  in  their  barn  cellars.  If  so,  they  can  make  a  good  one 
out  of  plank  and  matched  boards,  or  two  thicknesses  of  matched 
boards,  with  tarred  paper  between.  One  of  this  kind  can  be  put  in 
very  cheap.  There  are  hundreds  of  farmers  who  could  raise  up  their 
hay-floors,  and  make  silos  in  their  barn-cellars,  like  my  friend  Clem- 
ence,  whose  fodder  has  kept  just  as  well  as  mine.  It  would  cost 
them  very  little. 

QUES.  — Your  experience  with  cutting  and  packing  corn-fodder  for 
ensilage  in  the  silos? 

ANS.  — I  think  a  silo  should  be  filled  as  rapidly  as  possible  ;  cer- 
tainly not  less  than  one  foot  a  day.  It  should  be  spread  evenly, 
the  stalks  and  leaves  well  mixed.  It  should  be  well  trodden.  I 
should  keep  one  man  there  all  the  time ;  and,  if  I  was  filling  fast,  I 
would  put  in  two.  I  say  tread,  tread :  you  cannot  do  too  much  of  it. 

QUES. — What  do  you  consider  would  be  the  most  practical  size 
and  form  of  silo  ? 

ANS.  — My  silo  is  twenty- four  feet  long,  fourteen  deep,  and  twelve 
wide.  I  would  not  build  a  larger  one,  unless  I  run  a  partition  through 
the  middle.  I  supposed  it  would  hold  from  forty-five  to  fifty  tons, 
but  I  now  think  it  holds  more  than  seventy-five  tons.  No  man  who 
never  saw  one  filled  would  believe  they  would  hold  one-fourth  as  much 
as  they  do. 

QUES.  — About  how  much  did  your  silo  cost? 

ANS.  — The  help  employed  cost  me  sixty  dollars  ;  cement,  forty-five 
dollars.  I  had  the  gravel  and  stone,  and  supplied  the  brain- work 
myself.  This  is  for  the  walls.  The  excavating  cost  but  little,  as  a 
large  share  was  done  with  a  scraper.  I  do  not  think  my  whole  cost 
of  every  thing,  except  brain-work  and  sand,  was  over  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars,  and  believe  if  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,  with  my 
present  experience,  could  put  one  up  like  it  for  a  hundred  dollars.  I 
should  want  plenty  of  time,  so  that  I  could  select  my  days,  and  give 
it  time  to  set,  at  the  bottom  particularly. 

QUES.  — What  do  you  think  is  the  best  and  cheapest  material  for 
building  silos  ? 

ANS.  — If  the  materials  are  handy,  build  a  concrete  wall,  of  stone, 
gravel,  coarse  sand,  and  cement. 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  DR.   L.    W.    CURTIS.  63 

QUES.  — Where  and  what  do  yon  consider  the  best  location  ? 

ANS.  —  The  location  should  always  be  convenient  to  the  stable  :  a 
side  hill  is  far  preferable.  It  should  always  be  placed  where  the 
ensilage  could  drop  from  the  cutter  into  the  silo. 

QUES.  — Have  you  opened  your  silo  to  feed  ensilage  to  stock?  If 
so,  did  it  come  out  satisfactory? 

ANS. — The  silo  was  opened  Dec.  3.  Although  cold,  the  cows 
increased  in  milk  a  quart  a  day,  and  some  two  quarts.  I  would  add, 
that  the  rowen  that  was  the  dryest  had  a  very  fragrant  smell,  while 
that  which  was  put  in  when  very  wet  has  a  very  agreeable  smell ;  but 
the  cattle  eat  it  just  as  well,  and  it  does  not  make  the  milk  taste, 
unless  it  lays  in  the  stable  while  milking.  I  should  not  fear  to  put  in 
any  kind  of  grass  uncut,  but  should  want  heavy  pressure,  say  a  foot 
and  a  half  of  stones. 

QUES.  — When  you  first  began  to  feed  your  stock  with  ensilage, 
did  your  cattle  like  it  ?  Did  they  eat  it  as  though  they  were  hungry 
for  it? 

ANS. — My  man  said  they  acted  like  a  hungry  boy  eating  pie. 
They  will  eat  this  in  preference  to  hay. 

QUES.  — Did  your  milch  cows,  when  you  first  fed  them  with  ensi- 
lage, eat  it  as  well  as  young  cattle? 

ANS. — It  makes  no  difference  what  kind  of  stock, — cows  or 
young  cattle. 

QUES. — What  quantity  of  ensilage  do  you  consider  will  keep  a 
cow  six  months,  or  through  the  season  for  feeding? 

ANS.  — I  should  say,  five  or  six  tons  of  corn-fodder,  but  two  less 
of  rowen  or  early-cut  grass. 

QUES.  —  What  is  the  general  appearance  of  cattle  fed  upon  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  Cattle  look  healthy  and  sleek.  My  cows  have  roots,  and 
a  full  pint  dish  of  cotton-seed  meal.  They  seem  more  contented, 
and  look  better  than  usual. 

QUES. — In  regard  to  the  success  of  ensilage,  or  the  preserving 
of  our  green  crops  for  fodder  for  our  stock,  in  what  way  is  it  going 
to  be  of  great  benefit,  profit,  or  saving,  to  our  farmers  ? 

ANS.  — In  the  first  place,  he  can  soon  double  his  stock,  and,  in  the 
second  place,  employ  less  help,  —  making  a  double  profit. 

SUGGESTIONS. — I  would  not  let  corn-fodder  wilt.  Should  prefer 
a  dry  day ;  but  should,  after  I  began,  work  any  day  that  was  fitting 
for  man  to  work.  If  my  field-corn  fodder  was  a  little  dry,  should 
mix  it  with  my  fodder  corn.  Almost  any  land  will  grow  winter  rye  : 


64  U.   K.    STEVENS  ON  ENSILAGE. 

ensilage  this,  and  put  the  manure  on  the  fodder  corn.  Any  ground 
will  raise  a  good  crop  of  fodder-corn.  The  manure  made  from  this, 
put  on  the  next  crop  of  rye.  It  will  increase  that  crop,  and  leave 
the  ground  in  a  condition  to  grow  a  good  crop  of  fodder-corn  without 
any  more  manure.  A  farmer  can  put  in  his  first  or  second  crop  of 
hay  without  any  drying,  thus  saving  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
Yours  respectfully, 

DR.  L.  W.  CURTIS. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


CORRESPONDENCE  FROM 


IFIROIFIESSOIR,   CT.    IMI. 

KNOXYILLE,  TENN.,  JAN.  18,  1881 


DEAR  SIR: 

Although  much  over-crowded  with  pressure  of  work,  nvy  interest 
in  the  subject  of  ensilage  prompts  a  hast}'  reply  to  your  questions. 
M}T  experimental  report  will  give  3*011  all  the  practical  experience  I 
possess.  I  shall  attempt  no  theoretical  discussion,  but  only  supple- 
ment the  report  by  recent  results  of  experiments. 

You  will  see  that  I  put  up  last  summer  and  fall  nearly  seventy-five 
tons. 

Silo  No.  3  (the  most  unpromising  of  the  three  built,  because  in 
digging  it  it  we  found  the  upper  layers  of  soil  loose  and  crumbling, 
—  consisting  of  made  earth,  —  and  were  only  prevented  from  aban- 
doning the  work  by  the  fact  that  the  silo  adjoined  the  basement  of 
the  barn  in  which  our  cattle  are  stabled)  was  opened  Dec.  27.  It 
was  only  three  parts  full,  and  the  walls,  in  consequence  of  the  long- 
continued  rains,  had  fallen  in  from  the  top  ;  yet  we  found  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  ensilage  absolutely  perfect.  I  could  desire  no 
greater  success. 

Fed  to  all  kinds  of  stock. 

Was  eaten  b}*  all  greedily,  and  with  every  appearance  of  relish,  — 
horses,  mules,  cattle,  pigs,  all  enjoyed  it.     I  believe,  if  you  have  a 


ENSILAGE   TREATED.  65 

good,  firm,  dry,  and  compact  clay  subsoil,  that  a  simple  earthen  pit 
makes  the  very  best  silo.  Science  supports  this  conclusion,  the  result 
of  my  experience,  for  the  antiseptic  and  absorbent  powers  of  soils  are 
now  well  known  ;  and  the  earth-walls  permit  the  read}'  escape  of  the 
air  forced  out  b}'  the  enormous  pressure  from  above.  The  location 
should  be  near  the  barn  for  convenience  in  feeding,  on  the  upper  side 
of  a  hill-side  barn,  in  order  to  be  on  a  level  with  the  basement  in 
which  the  cattle  are  stalled  (such  is  the  position  of  our  No.  3). 

I  have  only  experimented  with  the  large  Southern  field-corn  :  from 
the  liability  of  all  varieties  to  mix,  I  confess  1  have  in}'  doubts  as  to 
the  superior  merits  of  the  much-lauded  mammoth  varieties.  Seed 
imported  from  Central  America  would  be  probably  the  best.  I  ex- 
pect to  have  numerous  experts  this  season,  testing,  not  onl}*  differ- 
ent varieties  of  corn,  but  every  other  forage-plant  grown.  There 
can  be  no  question  as  to  the  superior  feeding  value  of  ensilaged 
clover ;  and  I  believe  the  several  cuttings,  afforded  by  certain  forage- 
plants  during  season,  will  equal  amount  of  corn.  Ensilage  is,  at 
at  least,  fifty  per  cent  cheaper  than  hay. 

Finally  I  will  give  you  a  few  practical  hints.  In  taking  ensilage 
from  pit,  it  is  best  to  only  uncover  a  very  narrow  section  of  end, 
and  to  cut  the  slice,  not  more  than  a  foot  or  so  wide,  down  to  bottom 
from  top.  Remove  this,  and  spread  loosely  and  thinly  on  barn- 
floor  :  it  keeps  perfectly  for  ten  days  and  upwards,  becoming  slightly 
more  acid,  and  is  more  relished  b}*  stock,  and  the  loss  of  w- eight  by 
evaporation  is  slight.  The  thin  spreading  prevents  any  rapid  changes 
and  consequent  loss. 

Such  management  is  more  economical,  as  a  large  quantity  can  be 
more  cheaply  moved  at  once  ;  and  also  by  removing  whole  slices,  it 
prevents  loss  that  will  follow  if  only  several  layers  are  removed,  and 
some  left  without  covering  and  weight ;  for,  in  this  case,  the  upper 
remaining  layers  are  spoiled  by  contact  with  the  air  for  a  few  inches 
down.  We  have  had  some  thus  loosely  spread  for  three  weeks,  with- 
out any  deterioration  or  change,  except  the  increased  acidity  men- 
tioned above,  being  visible. 

Finally,  again,  one  writer  contends,  I  see  in  a  recent  article,  that 
the  acetic  fermentation  first  takes  place.  A  sample  of  ensilage  taken 
with  great  care  from  the  interior  of  the  pit,  and  excluded  from  the 
air,  and  immediately  placed  under  the  field  of  the  microscope,  re- 
vealed not  only  the  characteristic  fungi  of  the  acetic  fermentation, 
but  also  those  of  the  alcoholic.  No  doubt  both  processes  occur  sim- 
ultaneously. 


66  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

Bacteria,  etc.  (living  organisms),  were  also  visible  in  considerable 
quantities.  The  fungi  and  the  organisms  were  exactly  similar  to 
those  found  in  the  yeast,  etc.,  examined  at  same  time. 

I  will  communicate  later  on  the  results  of  my  numerous,  and  I  can 
say  accurate  experiments,  as  they  are  ascertained.  I  will  be  glad  to 
furnish  you  any  further  assistance  desired. 

Respectfully, 

J.    M.    M'BRYDE. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 

.    IF1.    IE.    LOTJID. 

WEYMOUTH,   MASS.,    JAN.   5,    1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS, 

Dear  Sir: 

My  attention  was  first  attracted  to  the  subject  of  ensilage  by  an 
article  in  "The  Country  Gentleman,"  in  November,  1879,  which 
referred  to  the  subject  in  general  terms,  and  alluded  to  the  transla- 
tion of  the  work  of  M.  Goffart  by  J.  B.  Brown  of  New  York.  I 
immediately  set  about  getting  the  work,  and  read  it  with  increased 
interest.  My  experiments  are  made  in  all  respects  according  to  the 
experience  and  suggestions  of  that  writer ;  who,  by  the  way,  I  con- 
sider to  be  the  only  reliable  authority  so  far  published.  I  take  pleas- 
ure in  answering  your  inquiries,  as  far  as  my  limited  experience 
allows,  in  as  brief  a  manner  as  possible. 

QUES.  —  What  is  your  method  of  planting  and  raising  corn-fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  —  On  May  20,  1879,  I  planted  a  hundred  and  fifty  square 
rods  of  land  well  adapted  to  growing  corn,  which  had  been  in  grass 
for  several  years ;  ploughed  it  in  the  fall,  and,  as  soon  as  the  frost 
was  out  of  the  ground  and  it  was  dry  enough,  spread  the  manure, — 
eight  cords  to  the  acre,  — and  harrowed  it  in  thoroughly  ;  after  that, 
until  the  time  of  planting,  run  over  it  with  a  cultivator,  to  keep  the 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  F.   E.   LOUD.  67 

weeds  clown,  and  to  mix  thoroughly  the  manure  with  the  soil.  The 
corn  was  planted  in  drills,  four  feet  apart,  the  kernels  from  five  to 
six  inches  apart  in  the  drills.  This  was  done  with  an  Albany  corn- 
planter  ;  and,  as  often  as  the  weeds  began  to  show  themselves,  run 
over  it  with  a  Thomas  smoothing-harrow,  until  the  corn  was  a  foot 
high  :  this  kept  them  down,  and  the  ground  light.  The  season  being 
dry,  I  cultivated,  once  a  week,  till  the  corn  covered  the  ground, 
then  used  the  hoe  to  keep  the  weeds  out. 

QUES.  — What  kind  of  corn  do  you  think  best  to  plant  for  ensilage? 

ANS. — The  variety  planted  was  "  Blunt 's  Prolific  ;"  which  grew 
twelve  feet  high,  on  an  average,  when  tasselled  out. 

QUES.  — What  time  of  the  year  do  you  think  most  suitable  to  plant 
corn  for  ensilage  ? 

ANS. — I  would  state,  that  it  is  practicable  to  grow  two  crops  on 
the  same  land,  by  sowing  winter  rye  in  the  fall,  after  the  corn  is  har- 
vested ;  which  will  be  ready  to  cut  by  the  1st  of  June,  in  season  to 
plant  corn  for  the  fall. 

QUES.  About  how  much  corn- fodder  for  ensilage  do  you  average 
per  acre? 

ANS. — The  product  of  the  field  was  twenty-five  tons.  Several 
different  square  rods  of  the  crop  being  weighed,  the  average  of  the 
field  would  make  that  amount.  On  12th  of  August  began  to  cut  and 
pack  in  silo. 

QUES.  — What  do  you  think  is  the  best  machine  for  cutting  fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS. — The  machine  I  used  was  the  "Baldwin  Hay  Cutter,  No. 
15,"  driven  by  a  portable  steam-engine.  All  was  cut  and  deposited 
in  fifteen  hours'  working  time.  There  was  some  delay,  as  the 
machine  was  new  and  untried. 

QUES. — What  length  do  you  consider  most  suitable  to  cut  corn- 
fodder  ? 

ANS. — The  corn  was  cut  three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  and,  as 
fast  as  cut,  well  trodden  down  by  two  men  constantly  walking  over  it. 

QUES.  — Will  you  give  me  your  experience  with  silo? 

ANS. — A  word  about  silos.  They  should  be  built  one-half  or 
more  underground,  for  the  reason  that  the  temperature  is  lower  and 
more  even. 

QUES.  —  Your  experience  with  cutting  and  packing  corn-fodder  for 
ensilage  in  the  silos? 

ANS. — As  regards  the  storing  of  the  corn,  one  man  with  a  grass- 


68  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

hook  will  cut  it  down  as  fast  as  two  teams  will  cart  it  to  the  silo  ;  one 
man  to  feed  the  cutter,  and  one  to  tend  the  engine,  and  two  to  tread 
it  down.  I  think  another  year  I  can  store  the  crop  for  seventy-five 
cents  per  ton. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  it  costs  per  ton  to  raise  the  corn- 
fodder  from  the  seed,  and  have  it  thoroughly  packed  for  ensilage  in 
the  silos? 

ANS. — The  expense  of  cultivation,  including  one-half  the  cost  of 
manure  taken  up  by  the  crop,  was  $2.08  per  ton  ;  the  cost  of  putting 
into  silo  was  one  dollar  per  ton  :  making  $3.08  per  tori  all  packed  in 
silo. 

QCES.  —  What  do  you  consider  would  be  the  most  practical  size  and 
form  of  silo? 

ANS.  — The  size  will  have  to  correspond  with  the  number  of  cattle 
to  be  fed,  sa}'  five  hundred  cubic  feet  to  a  full-grown  animal  for  the 
3'ear.  The  form,  a  parallelogram  twice  as  long  as  it  is  wide.  I 
should  prefer  a  silo  with  two  compartments,  each  twenty- five  feet 
long,  ten  feet  wide,  and  fifteen  feet  deep,  to  one  twenty-five  feet 
long  and  twenty  feet  wide,  for  this  reason :  it  will  cost  but  a  little 
more  to  build  a  partition-wall ;  and  with  this  arrangement  3-011  can  fill 
one  side  with  corn  in  the  fall,  and  the  other  with  lye,  clover,  or  Hun- 
garian, in  the  late  spring.  Such  a  silo,  of  the  size  named,  will  hold 
enough  to  keep  fifteen  cows  a  year. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  the  best  and  cheapest  material  for 
building  silos?  Some  are  built  of  brick,  some  of  stone  and  cement, 
some  of  concrete,  and  some  have  been  built  up  with  plank  with  quite 
good  success. 

ANS.  —  The  walls  should  be  of  diT  stones  faced  with  concrete. 

QUES.  —  Have  you  opened  3~our  silo  to  feed  ensilage  to  stock  ?  If 
so,  did  it  come  out  satisfactory? 

ANS.  — Opened  the  silo  Nov.  27,  and  found  the  experiment  a  per- 
fect success.  The  top  of  the  mass,  about  two  inches  thick,  was  a 
little  affected  1)3-  fermentation  ;  which  might  have  been  prevented  by 
covering  it  deeper  with  rye-straw  before  weighting  it  down,  say  about 
eight  inches  thick.  After  getting  into  it,  the  ensilage  proved  highly 
satisfactory.  In  order  that  you  may  fully  understand  my  way  of  esti- 
mating the  contents  of  my  silo,  and  manner  of  feeding,  I  would  say, 
that,  when  fully  pressed  down,  the  twenty-five  tons  occupied  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  cubic  feet,  or  thirty-eight  and  a  half  cubic  feet  to 
a  ton,  provided  there  was  no  loss  of  weight. 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  F.   E.   LOUD.  69 

QUES. — Please  give  me  your  experience  in  feeding  to  stock,  and 
kind  of  stock. 

ANS.  —  In  one  month  I  fed  to  three  cows,  one  of  them  in  milk, 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four  cubic  feet  of  ensilage,  which  should 
weigh  something  over  three  tons.  By  other  experiments,  I  find  that 
I  am  feeding  about  sixty-six  and  two-thirds  pounds  per  cow  daily. 
What  the  exact  loss  of  weight  is,  I  have  not  }*et  determined. 

QUES.  —  What  time  of  the  day  do  you  take  the  ensilage  from  the 
silo? 

ANS.  —  We  go  to  the  silo  every  afternoon. 

QUES.  —  How  long  do  you  let  it  stay  exposed  to  the  air  before 
feeding  it  to  stock? 

ANS.  — Take  out  sufficient  for  twenty-four  hours. 

QUES.  — What  quantity,  and  how  often,  do  3*ou  feed? 

ANS.  —  Feed  night  and  morning.  With  this,  I  have  given  two 
quarts  of  wheat-bran  per  cow,  and  have  now  commenced  feeding  the 
same  quantity  of  cotton-seed  meal,  with  a  little  of  the  shorts  per  cow 
daily. 

QCES.  — What  do  you  think  is  the  comparative  cost  of  ensilage  of 
corn  or  maize  with  hay  ? 

ANS. — In  comparing  the  cost  of  feeding  ensilage  and  ha}',  I  find 
it  to  be  as  follows  :  — 

COST  OF  ENSILAGE  PER  DAY. 

66?j  pounds  of  ensilage  cost 10J  cents. 

3i  pouiids  of  cotton-seed  meal  costs  4f 

15  cents  per  day. 
COST  OF  HAY  PER  DAY. 

25    pounds  English  hay  at  $22  per  ton  costs   .        .     27$  cents. 
3£  pounds  cotton-seed  meal 4£  cents. 

32£  cents  per  day. 
Cost  of  ensilage 15    cents  per  day. 

Difference 17{  cents  per  day. 

The  price  of  good  English  hay  has  averaged  with  ns  twenty-two 
dollars  per  ton  for  several  }*ears  in  the  market,  and  is  now  worth  from 
twenty-five  to  twenty-eight  dollars  per  tori.  By  the  above,  it  will  be 
seen  that  it  costs  double  to  feed  with  hay,  while  the  difference  of  the 
product  of  an  acre  cultivated  to  ensilage  crop  or  hay  is  still  more 
striking. 


70  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

QUES.  — What  is  the  effect  of  ensilage,  compared  with  hay,  upon 
the  milk  and  butter  ? 

ANS. — The  result  has  been  an  increase  in  the  quantity  of  milk, 
without  any  deterioration  in  the  quality  or  flavor  of  the  milk  or  butter 
produced. 

QUES. — When  you  first  began  to  feed  your  stock  with  ensilage, 
did  your  cattle  like  it  ?  Did  they  eat  it  as  though  they  were  hungry 
for  it? 

ANS.  —  All  kinds  of  stock  eat  it  with  relish  and  without  waste. 

QUES.  — -  What  quantity  of  ensilage  do  3*011  consider  will  keep  a 
cow  six  months,  or  through  the  season  for  feeding? 

ANS. — This  experiment  proves  that  an  acre  of  corn  ensilage  is 
capable  of  keeping  two  cows  a  3*ear ;  while  the  average  quant^y  of 
land  required  to  keep  a  cow  in  the  usual  way  is  six  acres  of  mowing 
and  pasturage,  as  by  agricultural  reports  ;  and,  besides,  it  is  not  half 
the  labor  to  feed  the  stock  in  the  barn. 

QUES.  — What  is  the  general  appearance  of  cattle  fed  on  ensilage? 

ANS.  —  The  condition  of  my  cows  is  much  better  than  when  fed  on 
hay,  being  in  a  thrifty  state,  and  with  the  addition  of  cotton-seed  or 
oil-cake  will  take  on  fat  readily. 

Yours  truty, 

F.  E.  LOUD. 

It  appears  by  Mr.  Loud's  experiments  in  feeding,  ensilage  shows 
a  saving  of  fifty-four  per  cent,  compared  with  the  cost  of  ha}',  with  a 
greater  flow  of  milk,  and  other  advantages,  in  favor  of  ensilage. 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF   WHITMAN    $   BURRELL.          71 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


CORRESPONDENCE    FROM 


IMIESSIR/S..  •vsrHiiTiyn^.nsr  &  IBTJIR,- 


DEAR  SIR: 

Your  favor  at  hand.  We  send  you  by  this  mail,  report  containing 
description  of  our  silo.  Hope  this  will  be  satisfactory.  We  will 
gladly  furnish  any  further  information  that  we  can. 

Our  silo  is  on  the  hill-side  next  to  the  barn.  The  bottom  of  the 
silo  is  on  a  level  with  the  cow-stable  floor,  and  there  are  entrances 
into  silo  from  both  the  cow-stable  and  the  floor  above.  The  top  of 
the  silo  is  on  a  level  with  the  upper  or  main  floor  of  the  barn,  so  that 
the  fodder  can  be  taken  out  on  to  either  of  the  three  floors  of  the 
barn.  You  will  appreciate  the  convenience  of  this  arrangement. 
The  silo  is  built  of  stone ;  the  walls  are  three  feet  thick  next  to  the 
bank,  and  two  feet  thick  next  to  the  barn ;  the  roof  of  barn  extends 
over  silo.  All  around  the  walls  twelve  inches  of  cobble-stone  are 
filled  in  from  top  to  bottom,  so  as  to  prevent  any  water  lodging 
against  the  walls.  Capacity  of  entire  silo,  about  four  hundred  tons, 
or  two  hundred  tons  for  each  compartment.  On  June  1st  we  put 
in  about  seven  acres  of  corn,  with  a  drill,  rows  twenty-one  inches 
apart,  and  dropping  six  or  eight  kernels  to  a  foot ;  in  September  we 
cut  same,  hauled  to  the  silo  as  fast  as  we  cut  in  the  field ;  and  with 
a  feed- cutter  of  largest  size,  or  next  to  largest  size,  we  cut  at  the 
rate  of  over  one  hundred  loads  per  day,  into  pieces  three-sixteenths 
to  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  length,  which  was  evenly  distributed  in  the 
silos,  and  trodden  down.  The  corn  was  large,  stalks  twelve  to  four- 
teen feet  high,  single  ones  weighing  five  to  five  pounds  and  a  half, 
with  ears  on  full  of  milk.  Into  one  silo  we  put  sixteen  feet,  and 
into  the  other  eleven  feet ;  as  soon  as  filled  (one  taking  three  days, 
and  the  other  four)  we  put  on  the  covers.  These  are  of  plank,  three 
feet  wide,  sixteen  feet  long,  and  two  inches  thick,  fitting  together 


72  H.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

closely ;  and  upon  these  covers  we  put  fifty  tons  of  stone  to  each 
silo  (stone  picked  up  on  the  farm).  Within  a  week  one  had  settled 
to  twelve  feet  and  a  half,  and  the  other  to  eight  feet  and  a  half.  On 
the  2Gth  of  October  we  opened  the  silo  having  the  eight  feet  and  a 
half  of  ensilage,  and  found  the  fodder  as  green  and  sweet  as  when 
first  put  in  ;  we  used  no  straw  under  the  covers,  and  yet  right  next 
to  the  boards  the  corn  was  all  right.  We  have  fed  the  stock  since 
Oct.  2G  ;  and  they  are  all  right,  looking  and  feeling  well.  One 
cubic  foot  of  ensilage  weighs  forty-seven  pounds  :  we  are  feeding 
sixty-five  pounds  to  each  cow  per  day,  with  four  pounds  of  middlings 
and  a  half  pound  oil-meal  (cotton-seed  meal).  We  had,  before  we 
began  feeding  the  ensilage  out  to  the  stock,  two  hundred  and  twelve 
tons  ;  and  the  exact  cost  of  harvesting  it,  filling  the  silos,  putting  on 
stone,  etc.,  was  two  hundred  and  seventeen  dollars,  allowing  full 
wages  for  our  own  time,  etc.  We  are  now  going  to  feed  fifty  to 
fifty-five  pounds  to  each  cow  per  day,  and  increase  the  grain  to  about 
six  or  seven  pounds  for  the  cows  still  giving  milk,  and  half  as  much 
to  the  dry  ones.  This  two  hundred  and  twelve  tons  from  seven  acres, 
or  a  little  over,  is  a  large  result,  and  is  equal  to  seventy-odd  tons  of 
hay,  "costing  but  three  dollars  per  ton,  or  ten  tons  to  the  acre.  We 
believe  that  by  putting  all  the  manure  back  on  the  seven  acres  of 
land,  that  we  can  get  up  to  forty,  and  possibly  fifty,  tons  to  the  acre. 
We  see  no  reason  now  why  the  cows  that  are  being  fed  on  ensilage 
will  not  continue  to  do  well  in  condition  and  product ;  and  our  plan 
now  is  to  raise  about  fifteen  acres  of  corn  next  season  (1881),  and 
this  will  be  sufficient  to  fill  the  silo  full,  giving  us  four  hundred  tons, 
and  this  will  keep  forty  cows  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  da}rs  ;  but 
as  we  shall  pasture  all  of  the  side-hill  during  the  summer  season 
(about  twenty  acres),  the  pasture  will  also  grow  better,  because  the 
cows  drop  more  upon  it  than  they  take  from  it.  We  think  we  can 
give  the  cows  all  they  will  eat,  morning  and  night,  of  the  ensilage, 
and  keep  in  this  way  fifty  head,  the  year  round,  on  fifteen  acres  of 
corn,  and  twenty  acres  of  hill-side  pasturage.  We,  however,  imme- 
diately after  taking  off  the  corn  early  in  September,  ploughed  up  the 
stubble,  and  put  in  winter  rye.  This  came  up  finely,  and  we  will  top- 
dress  it  this  winter,  and  early  in  the  spring  give  it  a  good  bushiug-in. 
We  expect  to  cut  the  rye  by  June  1  or  5,  and  cut  that  up  the 
same  as  we  do  the  corn,  and  store  it  in  one  of  the  silos,  then  imme- 
diately plough  the  same  seven  acres,  and  put  in  corn  ;  whether  this 
will  work,  remains  to  be  seen.  But  we  have  full  confidence  in  the 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  WHITMAN    £   BURRELL.          73 

perpetual  fertility  of  this  corn-land,  because  it  is  to  be  replenished, 
not  only  with  what  grew  upon  it,  but  from  the  grain  fed  with  the 
ensilage  ;  for,  by  the  pidii  we  have  adopted,  the  liquid  manure  is  as 
perfectly  saved  as  the  solid,  and  the  most  accurate  experiments  show 
that  the  fertilizing  matter  of  the  liquid  is  greater  than  in  the  solid 
manure.  Professor  Stewart  reports  that  he  has  found  the  manure 
from  one  cow  standing  upon  the  self-cleaning  platform,  carried  fresh 
to  the  lield,  the  liquid  all  absorbed  by  the  soil,  equal  to  the  manure 
from  three  cows  saved  in  the  old  way,  by  throwing  into  a  pile  and  car- 
ried to  the  field  months  afterwards.  In  fact,  there  is  no  fertilizing 
matter  wasted  or  lost,  except  that  carried  off  in  the  milk. 

The  beauty  of  this  system  is,  that,  instead  of  spreading  the  manure 
from  forty  or  fifty  cows  over  two  hundred  acres,  we  use  it  all  on  the 
fifteen  acres  that  furnish  the  fodder ;  and  shortly  the  laud  must 
become  very  rich,  and  then  we  can  use  the  manure  on  other  land.  Jf 
we  were  to  build  a  silo  on  level  land,  we  would  excavate  ten  or  twelve 
feet  below  the  surface,  and  then  let  the  walls  of  silo  run  up  ten 
feet,  using  the  earth  that  was  excavated  to  make  a  bank  about  the 
walls  above  ground ;  we  would  locate  the  silo  close  to  the  barn, 
making  the  top  of  silo  on  a  level  with  the  barn-floor,  over  the  cows  ; 
then,  in  feeding  out  of  the  silo,  the  fodder  could  be  easily  raised  with 
any  of  the  same  appliances  used  for  raising  and  carrying  hay ;  and, 
with  a  track  running  to  the  shutes,  the  car  could  be  dumped  so  that 
the  fodder  would  be  deposited  in  front  of  the  stock.  The  walls  of 
the  silo  should  be  perfectly  plumb  and  parallel,  so  that  the  followers, 
although  fitting  closely,  can  settle  without  binding  when  loaded  with 
stone.  As  you  build  the  silo  walls,  point  up  as  you  proceed,  both 
inside  and  outside,  and  then  plaster  the  entire  inside  (bottom  as  well 
as  sides)  with  Portland  cement,  as  it  is  necessary  that  the  silo  should 
be  water-tight  like  a  cistern. 

In  regard  to  size  of  silo,  we  would  make  them  twenty  feet  deep, 
and  put  them  as  much  below  ground  as  possible,  if  good  drainage 
can  be  had,  banking  up  around  the  outside  with  the  earth  that  is 
excavated,  as  before  stated.  A  silo  thirty  feet  by  sixteen  feet,  and 
twenty  feet  deep,  will  be  large  enough  to  contain  two  hundred  tons  of 
pressed  ensilage ;  and  this  would  keep  thirty-five  cows  six  months, 
feeding  about  sixty  pounds  per  day.  For  one  hundred  cows,  we 
would  advise  building  a  silo  one  hundred  feet  long,  dividing  it  into 
three  compartments  by  means  of  two  cross  walls,  and  then  feed  out 
one  at  a  time.  This  would  provide  ail  empty  silo  in  the  spring,  which 


74  tf.    n.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

would  be  ready  for  the  winter  rye,  clover,  June  grass,  etc.  (Hunga- 
rian can't  be  grown  early)  ;  which  could  be  harvested  early  in  June, 
cut  up  same  as  corn-fodder,  and  stored  in  the  silos  for  summer  feed- 
ing. Our  ideas  are,  that  it  is  best  to  give  the  stock  a  good  feed  from 
the  silos  every  morning  and  night  during  the  summer,  in  addition  to 
pasturage.  Now,  as  to  whether  people  can  afford  to  put  in  silos, 
etc.,  we  can  only  say  that  on  our  upland  farm  we  had,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  winter,  two  hundred  tons  of  hay.  If  we  had  put  in  fifteen  oi 
twenty  acres  of  corn,  and  cut  and  stored  it  in  the  silos,  we  would 
now  have  been  able  to  have  spared  all  of  the  two  hundred  tons  of 
hay;  and,  as  the  price  is  now  extreme  (twenty  dollars  per  ton),  we 
would  have  received  for  it  enough  to  have  paid  all  expenses  of  build- 
ing both  barn  and  silo,  besides  raising  and  harvesting  the  corn-fodder, 
and  we  should  have  had  fully  as  much  manure  to  put  back  on  the 
farm  as  we  will  have  now  by  feeding  the  hay.  The  stock  would  be 
kept  as  well  upon  the  ensilage  as  upon  hay,  and  yield  as  much 
manure  ;  and  the  hay  that  could  be  sold  at  eight  to  ten  dollars  per 
ton  would  pay  all  expenses  the  first  year.  The  right  kind  of  corn  for 
seed  costs  eighty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  per  bushel ;  and  we  hope  to 
get  a  feed-cutter  capable  of  cutting  ten  to  twelve  tons  per  hour,  or 
a  hundred  tons  per  day,  for  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and 
not  require  over  a  two-horse  tread-power  to  run  it.  Corn-ensilage  is 
probably  not  a  perfect  food  for  cows  in  milk.  Linseed  meal,  or 
cotton-seed  meal,  with  bran  or  oatmeal,  will  produce  a  good  flow  of 
milk.  Fifty-five  or  sixty  pounds  of  ensilage-food,  with  three  pounds 
of  linseed-meal  and  four  pounds  of  bran,  will  answer  satisfactorily. 
We  submit  all  this  for  what  it  is  worth.  Every  one  had  better  inves- 
tigate thoroughly  for  himself. 

Yours  most  truly, 

WHITMAN   &   BURRELL. 

It  seems  that  Whitman  &  Burrell  planted  seven  acres,  on  which 
they  raised  two  hundred  and  twelve  tons,  allowing  the  cost  to  be  two 
dollars  per  ton :  they  say,  if  they  had  planted  fifteen  acres  of  corn, 
and  put  it  into  silo  for  ensilage,  they  would  have  been  able  to  have 
spared  and  sold  the  two  hundred  tons  of  hay.  Allowing  these  fifteen 
acres  to  produce  four  hundred  and  twenty- four  tons  green  corn- 
fodder,  costing  two  dollars  per  ton,  eight  hundred  and  forty-eight 
dollars,  and  allowing  they  sold  the  two  hundred  tons  of  hay  at  twenty 
dollars  per  ton,  which  would  be  four  thousand  dollars,  deducting  the 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  J.    P.    GOODALE.  75 

cost  of  four  hundred  and  twenty-four  tons  of  ensilage  (which  is  more 
than  equal  to  the  two  hundred  tons  of  hay) ,  it  leaves  a  very  hand- 
some margin,  or  gain  of  $3,152  in  favor  of  ensilage.  Can  any 
Western  farmer  show  such  margins  of  profit  for  same  amount  of 
money  invested? 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


IMIIR,.     CT.     IP. 

WEST  PEABODY,  MASS.,  JAN.  10,  1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS,  Boston. 
My  Dear  Sir  : 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  Dec.  31,  I  will  write  a  few  lines,  as  far 
as  I  have  had  experience,  to  answer  your  numerous  inquiries. 

QUES.  — What  is  your  method  of  planting  and  raising  corn-fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS. — I  have  raised  corn- fodder  for  several  years  by  planting  in 
drills. 

QUES.  —  What  kind  of  corn  do  you  think  best  to  plant  for  ensi- 
lage? 

ANS. — The  kind  of  corn  I  think  best  to  plant  is  what  some  call 
the  large  ensilage  corn.  It  grows  more  fodder  to  the  acre  than  any 
other  corn  that  I  know  of. 

QUES.  — Will  you  please  give  me  your  method  of  labor  in  raising 
corn- fodder  for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  — My  method  last  year  was  to  plough  the  ground,  and  harrow 
it,  furrow  it,  making  the  rows  four  feet  apart,  plant  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  quarts  of  ensilage  corn  per  acre. 

QUES.  — What  time  of  the  year  do  you  think  most  suitable  to  plant 
corn  for  ensilage  ? 

ANS.  — Plant  the  first  part  of  June. 

QUES.  — About  what  is  the  cost  per  acre  of  raising  corn-fodder  for 
ensilage  ? 


7fi  H.    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

ANS. — The  cost  per  acre  would  be:  I  should  allow  one-half  the 
cost  of  manure,  —  I  use  fertilizer,  Stockbridge,  cost  twenty  dollars  per 
acre ;  the  labor  would  be  ploughing,  planting,  and  cultivating,  which 
would  be  about  ten  dollars.  As  to  hoeing,  it  needs  none.  If  planted 
in  June,  the  corn  will  grow  so  fast  it  will  kill  all  weeds. 

QUES.  — About  how  much  corn- fodder  for  ensilage  do  you  average 
per  acre  ? 

ANS.  —  I  raised,  I  think,  about  forty  tons  per  acre. 

QUES.  —  How  many  acres  do  you  plant  for  ensilage? 

ANS.  —  I  planted  four  acres. 

QUES.  — Do  you  plant  or  raise  any  grains  or  grasses  for  ensilage? 

ANS.  — I  cut  several  tons  of  second  crop  (rowen)  for  ensilage. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  think  is  the  best  machine  for  cutting  fodder 
for  ensilage  ? 

ANS. — I  used  Baldwin's  improved  fodder-cutter,  said  to  be  the 
largest  in  New  England,  that  would  cut  it  short  enough. 

QUES.  —  What  length  do  you  consider  most  suitable  to  cut  corn- 
fodder? 

ANS. — We  cut  a  part  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch,  and  a  part 
three-eighths  of  an  inch.  It  is  slow  work  to  cut  it  so  short. 

QUES.  — Will  you  give  me  your  experience  with  silos? 

ANS.  — I  began  to  build  my  silo  about  the  20th  of  July.  It  was 
built  the  same  as  a  house-cellar,  of  stone,  forty  feet  long,  fifteen  feet 
wide,  and  fifteen  feet  deep.  If  we  allow  forty  cubic  feet  to  the  ton, 
it  would  hold  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  tons  of  ensilage  when 
filled. 

QUES.  —  Your  experience  with  cutting  and  packing  corn-fodder  for 
ensilage  in  the  silos  ? 

ANS.  — I  finished  my  silo  the  last  of  August.  Every  thing  worked 
to  a  charm.  I  cut  my  corn-fodder  with  steam-power  ;  and  in  packing 
I  kept  one  man  in  the  silo  all  the  time  tramping,  and  a  part  of  the 
time  a  man  with  horses  tramping  it  down.  When  it  was  all  in  the 
silo,  and  well  tramped,  I  put  on  a  covering  of  straw  over  the  whole 
of  the  ensilage,  then  planks  on  the  straw,  and  stone  and  small  rock 
on  top  of  the  planks.  This  was  done  as  soon  as  possible  after  I  got 
it  filled. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  it  costs  per  ton  to  raise  the  corn- 
fodder  from  the  seed,  and  have  it  thoroughly  packed  for  ensilage  in 
the  silos? 

ANS.  —  The  cost  of  packing  in  the  silos  is  from  one  dollar  to  one 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  J.   P.    GOODALE.  11 

dollar  twenty-five  cents  per  ton.  Allowing  twenty  dollars  for  Stock- 
bridge  fertilizer,  ten  dollars  for  labor,  and  one  dollar  per  ton  for  put- 
ting in  the  silos  (and  I  have  no  doubt  I  raised  forty  tons  to  the  acre), 
and  now  allow  ten  dollars  per  acre  for  any  extras  there  might  be, 
which  added  makes  it  cost  eighty  dollars  per  acre,  or  two  dollars  per 
ton,  packed  in  silo. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  consider  would  be  the  most  practical  size 
and  form  of  silos  ? 

ANS.  —  For  size  and  form,  it  would  be  best  to  suit  the  location. 

QUES.  —  What  do  }'ou  consider  the  best  and  cheapest  material  for 
building  silos?  Some  are  built  of  brick,  some  of  stone  and  cement, 
some  of  concrete,  and  some  have  been  built  up  with  plank  with  quite 
good  success. 

ANS. — About  the  building  material,  I  should  say  what  is  handy 
and  the  cheapest. 

QUES.  — Have  you  opened  your  silos  to  feed  ensilage  to  stock?  If 
so,  did  it  come  out  satisfactory? 

ANS.  —  I  opened  my  silo  the  first  part  of  November ;  and  the  ensi- 
lage came  out  nice,  as  good  as  I  could  wish  to  have  it. 

QUES. — Please  give  me  your  experience  in  feeding  to  stock,  and 
kind  of  stock. 

ANS. — We  feed  two  bushels  to  a  milch  cow,  with  grain,  cotton- 
seed, and  shorts,  per  da}',  and  no  hay.  The  dry  cows,  no  grain.  The 
oxen,  the  same  as  milch  cows.  We  are  feeding  five  fall  calves  on 
ensilage  with  grain :  they  look  first-rate.  We  are  feeding  eleven 
cows,  one  bull,  live  calves,  and  one  pair  of  oxen,  with  ensilage. 

QUES.  —  What  time  of  clay  do  you  take  ensilage  from  the  silo? 

ANS.  — We  take  it  from  the  silo  morning  and  night.  We  take  the 
rocks  off  from  the  planks,  and  throw  the  ensilage  up  on  the  planks, 
and  take  it  from  there  into  the  barn  as  wanted. 

QUES. — How  long  do  you  let  it  stay  exposed  to  the  air  before 
feeding  it  to  stock? 

ANS.  —  It  is  taken  out  sometimes  two  or  three  days  ahead,  and 
sometimes  right  from  the  solid  ensilage. 

QUES.  — What  quantity,  and  how  often,  do  you  feed? 

ANS.  —  We  feed  two  bushels  to  a  milch  cow,  with  grain  and  shorts, 
per  day. 

QUES.  —  What  do  you  think  is  the  comparative  cost  of  ensilage  of 
corn,  or  maize,  with  hay? 

ANS. — We  are  using  nine  hundred  pounds  of  ensilage  per  day. 


78  77.    fl.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

If  we  fed  English  ha}',  it  would  take  more  than  three  hundred  pounds 
per  day  :  1  think  a  saving  of  one-half. 

QUES. — What  is  the  effect  of  ensilage,  compared  with  hay,  upon 
the  milk  and  butter? 

ANS.  —  I  think  ensilage  is  good  for  milk :  as  to  butter,  we  make 
none. 

QUES. — When  you  first  began  to  feed  your  stock  upon  ensilage, 
did  your  cattle  like  it?  Did  they  eat  it  as  though  they  were  hungry 
for  it? 

ANS.  —  My  cows  did  not  all  eat  it  the  first  day,  but  by  the  third 
day  they  all  ate  it.  I  have  a  pair  of  new  oxen  just  bought  to-day 
that  will  not  eat  it.  Some  horses  that  come  here  will  dive  into  a 
basketful  up  to  their  eyes. 

QUES. — What  quantity  of  ensilage  do  you  consider  will  keep  a 
cow  six  months,  or  through  the  season  for  feeding? 

ANS.  —  I  think  sixty  pounds  per  day  will  keep  a  cow. 

QUES. — What  is  the  general  appearance  of  cattle  fed  upon  ensi- 
lage? 

ANS.  — The  general  appearance  of  cattle  is  that  they  gain  flesh, 
and  generally  look  better  than  when  fed  on  hay. 

QUES.  —  In  regard  to  the  success  of  ensilage,  or  the  preserving  of 
our  green  crops  for  fodder  for  our  stock,  in  what  way  is  it  going  to  be 
of  great  profit,  benefit,  or  saving,  to  our  farmers  ? 

ANS.  — In  regard  to  profit,  it  will  be  in  raising  a  large  amount  of 
fodder  on  a  small  quantity  of  land. 

Quite  a  number  of  questions  you  ask,  I  am  not  prepared  to  answer. 
Yours  respectfully, 

JACOB  P.  GOODALE, 

Peabody,  Mass. 
Box  206. 

It  seems  Mr.  Goodale  is  feeding  about  twenty  head  of  cattle  in  all 
his  stock.  He  feeds  nine  hundred  pounds  of  ensilage  per  day.  He 
feeds  grain  with  his  ensilage,  and  would  give  same  if  he  were  feeding 
hay ;  perhaps  not  as  much  with  ensilage  as  with  hay.  If  he  fed  with 
hay,  it  would  take,  as  he  says,  over  three  hundred  pounds  per  day  to 
take  place  of  ensilage.  His  ensilage  cost  him  two  dollars  per  ton 
packed  in  silo,  making  cost  of  nine  hundred  pounds,  ninety  cents,  — 
a  day's  feed  for  his  stock.  If  he  fed  three  hundred  pounds  of  hay, 
—  twenty-five  dollars  per  ton  is  now  a  low  price,  —  the  cost  per  day 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  BUCKLEY  BROTHERS.     79 

would  be  $3.75,  making  a  gain  per  clay  of  $2.65  in  favor  of  ensilage. 
In  six  months'  time,  or  during  the  feeding  season,  the  gain  would  be, 
in  favor  of  ensilage,  $518.70  ;  and,  if  fed  on  ensilage  the  year  round, 
would  show  a  very  handsome  gain,  which  would  be  $1,037.40,  to  say 
nothing  of  other  advantages,  —  increase  of  milk,  butter,  and  better 
condition  of  stock. 


CIIAPTEE   XIX. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 

ZBiROTHiiEiRyS. 

PORT  JERVIS,   N.Y.,    JAX.    27,   1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir: 

I  have  not  the  time  or  the  ability  to  answer  all  of  your  inquiries,  as 
we  have  them  come  from  all  quarters.  We  send  3*011  the  enclosed 
report :  — 

"  This  morning  the  Buckley  Brothers  of  this  village  opened  one  of 
their  silos  on  the  farm  of  Charles  Buckley,  between  Port  Jervis  and 
Sparrowbush.  The  ensilage  was  found  to  be  in  fine  condition  ;  and, 
when  fed  to  the  cows,  they  ate  it  readily.  There  had  been  much 
speculation  as  to  whether  the  ensilage  would  be  fit  to  eat  when  the 
silos  came  to  be  opened,  but  there  can  no  longer  be  any  doubt  on 
this  subject. 

"  Last  summer  Messrs.  Buckley  built  two  silos,  to  give  the  ensilage 
system  a  test.  The  silos  were  put  under  the  cow-stables  ;  and  each 
was  nine  by  twenty-two  feet,  and  fifteen  and  a  half  feet  deep,  built 
side  by  side,  with  a  two-foot  wall  between  them.  Into  these  were 
put  the  green  corn  from  about  eight  acres  of  land,  making  between 
one  hundred  and  twenty  and  a  hundred  and  forty  tons  of  fodder. 
The  corn-stalks  were  cut  green  at  the  tasselling,  and  were  chopped 
about  half  an  inch  in  length.  When  the  silos  were  filled,  a  layer  of 
straw  was  put  upon  them,  and  the  planks  were  laid  close  together, 


80  II.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

running  crosswise  ;  and,  to  press  the  air  out,  tons  of  stone  were  placed 
upon  the  planks.  The  fodder  had  settled  two  feet.  When  the 
planks  were  removed,  a  vinous  or  alcoholic  odor  arose.  The  surface 
was  found  to  be  spoiled  to  the  depth  of  about  two  inches.  When 
this  was  removed,  the  fodder  was  found  to  be  sweet  and  nice  ;  and  a 
veiy  pleasant  odor  saluted  one.  The  fodder  was  warm,  not  too  much 
so,  and  seemed  to  preserve  the  same  temperature  as  far  down  as  we 
could  penetrate. 

"  The  only  thing  which  disappointed  us  was  in  the  color  of  the 
fodder.  We  had  vaguely  supposed  it  would  preserve  its  green  color ; 
but,  where  we  got  the  idea,  we  do  not  know.  The  ensilage,  however, 
is  not  green,  but  of  a  light  brown  or  dark  straw  color.  This  is  all 
proper,  we  believe. 

"  Mr.  Buckley  had  given  his  cattle  their  usual  supply  of  hay  in  the 
morning.  When  the  silo  was  opened,  the  cattle  were  fed  the  ensi- 
lage. Nearl}*  all  of  them  ate  it  with  evident  relish  at  once,  Mr. 
Buckley  said  ;  and  all  ate  it  in  time.  When  we  yisited  the  stables 
the  cows  had  eaten  all  the  better  part  of  the  ensilage,  in  fact,  all 
except  the  spoiled  coating  before  alluded  to  ;  and  they  were  licking 
the  floor  where  it  had  lain.  We  threw  some  of  it  to  them,  and  they 
ate  it  eagerly. 

"  The  opening  of  this  silo  convinces  us  that  the  proper  way  to 
preserve  fodder  for  cows,  horses,  sheep,  and  all  farm-stock,  is  in  the 
form  of  ensilage.  The  nutritious  qualities  of  all  green  food  are  pre- 
served unimpaired,  and  it  is  relished  by  the  cattle.  For  these  rea- 
sons it  makes  a  superior  fodder.  Added  to  this  is  the  fact,  that  it 
'  goes  farther  '  than  all  other  foods  furnished,  and  enables  the  farmer 
to  keep  at  least  one  cow  to  every  acre  of  land,  and  do  it  nicely  and 
advantageously. 

"  He  will  next  summer  build  two  more  silos,  and  let  ensilage  be 
the  main  fodder  for  his  stock.  We  think  it  must  in  time  become  the 
most  economical  way  of  keeping  stock.  Are  well  pleased  with  it. 
Put  eight  cows  on  it  for  eight  days,  fed  them  their  usual  allowance 
of  feed  and  turnips  the  same  as  we  fed  with  hay ;  and  at  the  end 
of  the  eighth  day,  the  cows  had  increased  one  and  a  half  quarts  a 
day  each." 

Yours  truly, 

BUCKLEY  BROTHERS. 


PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE   WITH  ENSILAGE.  81 


CHAPTER    XX. 


PRACTICAL   EXPERIENCE   WITH  ENSILAGE. 


ZPIROIFESSOIR, 


THE  history  of  my  first  experiment  with  ensilage  is  as  follows  :  — 

M}*  attention  having  been  particularly  drawn  to  the  process  by  the 
published  accounts  of  the  French  experiments,  and  being  convinced 
of  its  great  agricultural  promise,  I  determined,  soon  after  nry  arrival 
here  last  September,  1879,  to  test  the  matter  experimentally  for 
myself.  To  follow  the  directions  laid  down  by  Goffart,  was  simply 
out  of  the  question :  the  expense  would  have  been  too  great ;  and  the 
experiment,  even  if  successful,  would  have  possessed  but  little  prac- 
tical value  for  the  farmers  of  the  South.  Not  one  in  a  thousand 
would  be  able  to  build  silos  costing  hundreds  of  dollars,  and  to  buy 
cutters  and  engines  footing  up  hundreds  more.  It  has  ever  been  my 
declared  aim  to  make  my  experiments  as  simple  and  practical  as  pos- 
sible,—  such  as  would  have  immediate  value  for  the  agricultural 
public,  and  such  as  could,  with  moderate  care  and  outla}',  be  success- 
fully undertaken  by  any  intelligent  farmer.  My  ensilage  experiment 
was,  therefore,  purposely  of  the  very  simplest  description. 

A  pit  was  prepared  on  the  northern  side  of  a  small  grove,  and  on 
the  edge  of  a  dry  knoll,  nine  feet  long,  six  feet  wide,  and  six  feet 
deep.  The  soil  wis  a  strong,  firm  clay,  over  a  close,  dry,  and  com- 
pact red  clay  subsoil.  The  sides  of  the  pit  were  neither  bricked  up 
nor  cemented.  Owing  to  the  long-continued  drought,  the  corn  at  the 
time  of  cutting  was  dry  and  wilted.  It  was  cut  down  when  the  ears 
were  beginning  to  fill,  with  sickles,  about  the  middle  of  September, 
and  immediately  carted  to  the  pit  after  being  weighed.  It  was  care- 
fully laid  lengthwise  in  the  pit,  and  closely  packed,  layer  by  la}Ter. 

The  mass  was  carried  up  vertically  six  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
pit,  in  order  to  allow  for  its  settling.  About  three  feet  of  the  clay 


82  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

was  then  thrown  on  top,  and  it  was  allowed  to  stand  for  twenty-four 
hours.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  it  had  settled  down  almost  to 
the  surface.  It  was  then  heavily  trampled,  and  more  clay  thrown  on 
the  top  and  sides.  In  a  day  or  so  more  the  mass  had  settled  down 
well  within  the  pit.  The  pit  was  closely  watched  for  some  time,  and 
all  cracks  covered  up.  It  held  thirteen  thousand  pounds  of  the  green 
corn.  As  its  capacity  was  three  hundred  and  twenty-four  cubic  feet, 
the  ensilage  must  have  weighed  about  forty  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot. 
When  opened  on  the  13th  of  December  last,  three  months  after  it  was 
filled,  the  mass  within  was  found  to  be  sound  and  fresh,  and  but 
slightl}7  changed  in  appearance ;  the  edges  and  top  alone,  to  the 
depth  of  an  inch  or  so,  being  somewhat  damaged. 

One  end  onljr  of  the  pit  was  opened.  The  soil  was  taken  off  from 
this  end,  and  the  ensilage  removed  by  cutting  a  slice  out  vertically 
downwards.  An  axe  had  to  be  used  for  this  purpose,  so  great  was 
the  compression  of  the  mass.  After  a  few  hours'  exposure  to  air, 
alcoholic  fermentation  set  in.  This  food  was  greatly  relished  by  the 
stock.  The  end  of  the  pit  was  left  uncovered,  except  that  a  little 
straw  was  thrown  on  top  of  the  opened  section.  The  ensilage  was 
fed  out  during  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  February, 
remaining  sound  and  unaltered  to  the  last.  The  plan  pursued  the 
present  season  differed  somewhat  from  the  one  just  described.  Two 
additional  silos  were  prepared.  No.  2  (last  year's  silo  being  called 
No.  1)  was  made  and  filled  in  the  following  way :  — 

Like  No.  1,  it  was  simply  a  pit  ten  feet  deep,  ten  feet  wide,  and 
twenty  feet  long,  dug  in  a  dry  and  compact  subsoil.  The  corn  was 
cut  down  (Aug.  4  and  5)  with  sickles,  and  immediately  hauled  to  the 
pits  in  carts,  where  it  was  dumped,  after  being  weighed  in  an  adjoin- 
ing scales-room.  It  was  then  passed  through  a  No.  11  Sinclair  feed- 
cutter  driven  by  a  one-horse  railway  (tread)  power.  This  cutter 
repeatedly  sliced  up  a  cartload  weighing  five  hundred  pounds,  into 
pieces  one-half  inch  in  length,  in  five  minutes  time.  All  the  machine- 
ry used  was  simple,  and  comparatively  inexpensive,  and  such  as 
would  be  useful  for  many  other  farm  purposes.  The  corn  fell  from 
the  cutter  directly  into  the  pit,  where  it  was  packed  down  by  heavy 
trampling.  About  thirty-five  thousand  pounds  of  corn  were  thus 
packed  away. 

The  upper  part  of  the  pit  was  filled  with  thirty-three  thousand 
pounds  of  green  clover  treated  in  the  same. way;  this  crop  packing 
more  closely  than  corn,  and  hence  promising  a  more  perfect  protec- 


PRACTICAL   EXPERIENCE    WITH  ENSILAGE.  83 

tion  from  the  .air.  The  mass  was  carried  up  vertically,  three  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  pit.  The  pit  was  open  three  days,  and  the 
ensilage  had  settled  down  very  much  during  that  time.  The  clover 
was  covered  with  a  few  inches  of  chaff,  boards  were  placed  trans- 
versely across  this,  and  above  all  the  required  weight  (about  one 
hundred  pounds  to  the  square  foot  of  surface).  This  weight  was 
furnished  by  a  covering  of  red  clay.  Clay  generally  weighs  about 
eighty  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot.  In  a  few  days  the  mass  had  settled 
down  to  the  surface.  A  rough  shed  gives  protection  from  the 
weather.  The  whole  cost  of  "pitting"  the  corn,  cutting  it  down, 
hauling  it  to  the  cutter,  slicing  it  up,  packing  it  away  in  the  pit,  etc., 
as  before  stated,  was  only  $11.25  for  17.45  tons  (the  yields  of  six- 
teen experimental  plats) ,  or  about  sixty-eight  and  three-fourths  cents 
per  ton.  The  cost  of  "  pitting  "  the  clover,  where  the  mower  could 
be  used  to  cut  it  down  and  the  horse-rake  to  gather  it  up,  was  some- 
thing less.  The  weather  was  overcast  during  the  whole  process,  and 
hence  very  favorable.  After  the  lapse  of  several  weeks  the  mass  is 
only  an  inch  or  so  below  the  surface  of  the  pit,  and  it  will  settle  no 
more. 

As  the  pit  had  a  capacity  of  two  thousand  cubic  feet,  and  held  but 
sixty-eight  thousand  pounds  of  corn  and  clover,  and  was  about  full, 
and  could  hold  but  little  more,  the  pitted  food,  or  ensilage,  must  have 
weighed  from  thirty-four  to  thirty-five  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot. 

The  old  pit,  No.  1,  was  filled  this  year  in  the  same  manner  as  No.  2, 
after  being  enlarged  and  made  eight  feet  deep,  six  feet  wide,  and  nine 
feet  long.  Its  capacity  was  three  hundred  and  ninety-six  cubic  feet. 
It  was  filled  entirely  with  green  clover,  cut  up  and  packed  down  like 
the  corn.  It  held  fifteen  thousand  four  hundred  pounds.  The  set- 
tling after  the  same  lapse  of  time  is  no  greater  than  in  the  case  of 
No.  2.  Hence,  the  weight  of  a  cubic  foot  of  "pitted"  clover  is 
about  thirty-five  pounds,  the  same  as  that  of  corn.  A  cubic  foot  of 
the  corn  put  up  last  year  weighed  about  thirty  pounds.  Hence,  it  is 
safe  to  put  the  weight  of  ensilage  at  from  thirty-five  to  forty  pounds 
to  the  cubic  foot.  It  is  generally  estimated  as  high  as  fifty  pounds. 

Silo,  or  pit,  No.  3  was  eleven  feet  and  a  half  deep,  twenty  feet 
long,  and  ten  feet  wide,  with  a  capacit}r  of  twenty-three  hundred 
cubic  feet.  It  was  our  original  intention  to  cement  it  within,  the 
cement  to  be  applied  directly  to  the  clay  walls.  This  method  is 
generall}'  followed  in  the  vicinity  of  this  city  in  making  cisterns, 
and  nearly  always  with  success.  But  the  pressure  of  other  work, 


84  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

and  more  especially  the  unfavorable  nature  of  the  soil,  interfered 
with  this  plan  ;  and  the  silo  is  merely  a  pit  like  the  others,  but  with 
one  end  formed  by  the  briek  wall  of  a  hill-side  barn.  The  cattle  are 
stabled  in  the  basement  of  this  barn,  and  a  door  will  be  cut  through 
the  partition  wall  so  as  to  allow  of  convenient  access  to  the  pit.  It 
was  filled  in  the  same  manner  as  the  two  preceding.  The  corn  was 
cut  down  Sept.  14  and  15.  The  weather  was  clear  and  diy  during 
the  operation,  and  hence  rather  unfavorable.  43,538  pounds  of 
corn  were  first  put  down.  For  the  sake  of  experiment,  a  thousand 
pounds  of  common  hay,  five  hundred  pounds  of  clover  hay,  and  five 
hundred  pounds  of  straw,  were  packed  down  in  alternate  kr^ers  with 
the  corn  in  different  portions  of  the  silo.  The  upper  part  was  filled 
with  5,165  pounds  of  German  millet,  treated  in  the  same  way  as  the 
corn.  The  millet  was  cut  on  the  16th  of  September.  It  was  just 
out  of  bloom.  The  filling  took  four  days,  and  the  mass  settled  down 
greatly  during  that  time.  The  pit  was  not  quite  full.  A  layer  of 
about  six  inches  of  straw  was  put  on  top  of  the  ensilage  ;  boards 
laid  above  this,  in  the  manner  already  described,  and  twenty-one 
thousand  six  hundred  pounds  of  old  brick  placed  above  all,  to  give 
the  desired  weight.  This  weight  gave  a  pressure  of  one  hundred 
and  eight  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot.  The  pit  is  covered  by  a  simple 
shed. 

From  a  careful  comparison  of  the  published  results  of  numerous 
experiments,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  corn  will  keep  as 
well  in  pits  dug  in  the  naked  clay,  as  in  bricked-up  and  cemented 
silos,  provided  the  clay  is  dry  and  compact.  The  chief  drawback  to 
the  use  of  such  pits  is  their  liability  to  cave  in  when  emptied  of  the 
ensilage  in  the  spring.  If  this  can  be  prevented  by  temporaiy  sup- 
ports, props,  etc.,  then  my  experience  and  observation,  thus  far,  is 
in  favor  of  this  kind  of  silo,  —  the  cheapest  and  the  simplest  yet 
described.  A  correspondent  of  "  The  Country  Gentleman  "  contends 
that  ensilage  will  keep  better  in  such  pits.  He  states  that  he  has 
experimented  for  a  number  of  years  past  with  brewer's  grain,  en- 
deavoring to  discover  the  best  mode  of  keeping  it.  He  has  tried 
stone,  brick,  and  cemented  vaults,  barrels  and  wooden  vats,  and 
found  none  to  compare  with  pits  dug  in  a  good  clay  or  other  dry 
soil.  He  is  inclined  to  attribute  the  superiority  of  these  to  the  pre- 
servative action  of  the  soil  itself. 

There  may  be  something  in  this.  Soils  are  known  to  possess 
remarkable  absorptive  and  antiseptic  properties.  It  is  more  than 


PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE    WITH  ENSILAGE.  85 

probable,  however,  that  the  earthen  walls  allow  of  the  more  easy  and 
rapid  escape  of  the  air  enclosed  in  the  mass  of  vegetable  matter, 
the  superincumbent  pressure  being  sufficient  to  force  it  out  into  the 
interstices,  which  are  found  even  in  the  most  finely  comminuted 
cla}"S.  In  cemented  silos  this  air  can  only  escape  at  the  top,  through 
the  covering  of  straw  and  boards.  A  few  words  as  to  the  rationale 
of  the  process.  The  great  object  to  be  attained  is  the  thorough  ex- 
clusion of  air,  which  contains  oxygen,  the  great  agent  of  deca}T. 
Goffart,  until  quite  recently,  held  that  the  ensilage  underwent  some 
kind  of  fermentation  which  preserved  it  from  further  decay.  With- 
in the  last  few  years,  however,  he  has  "become  convinced." — he 
does  not  give  us  the  grounds  of  his  conviction,  —  that  the  ensilage 
is  preserved  absolutely  unchanged,  and  that  it  does  not  ferment 
until  after  its  removal  from  the  silo,  and  its  subsequent  exposure  to 
air.  Others,  notably  Dr.  Baile}',  contend,  as  before  remarked,  that 
the  oxygen  of  the  small  amount  of  air  left  in  the  mass  unites  with 
the  carbon  of  the  vegetable  matter,  and  forms  carbonic  acid,  which 
bathes  the  mass,  and  expels,  by  its  superiority  of  weight,  the  scant}'' 
residuum  of  air,  and  prevents  its  re-entrance. 

All  this  seems  to  be  mere  hypothesis :  what  we  want  are  facts. 
But,  even  in  a  theoretical  point  of  view,  such  changes  do  not  neces- 
sarily occur.  No  one,  not  even  Goffart,  would  contend  that  there  is 
a  perfect  exclusion  of  air,  and  that  all  has  been  expelled  from  the 
vegetable  matter.  Now,  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  oxygen  of  this 
included  air,  instead  of  combining  with  the  carbon  of  the  ternary 
principles  of  the  plant,  unites  with  its  albuminoids.  It  is  well  known 
that  nitrogenous  matters,  such  as  flesh,  white  of  eggs,  blood,  fibrin, 
gluten,  etc.,  are  the  first  to  decay  or  putrefy.  This  putrefaction  is 
induced  by  their  union  with  the  oxygen  of  the  air.  In  the  presence 
of  the  sugar,  starch,  and  other  amylaceous  principles  of  the  corn,  its 
decaying  albuminous  matters  act  as  ferments,  and  convert  the  sugar, 
etc.,  into  alcoholic  and  carbonic  acid  ;  in  other  words,  induce  alco- 
holic fermentation.  But,  as  the  corn,  etc.,  has  but  a  small  content 
of  albuminoids,  the  fermentation  is  soon  arrested,  for  want  of  mate- 
rial (ferment).  Hence  the  fermentation  is  slight,  and  the  mass 
remains  comparatively  unchanged.  In  my  experiment  of  last  year, 
the  pitted  corn,  or  ensilage,  at  the  opening  of  the  pit,  was  not  alto- 
gether unchanged.  There  was  every  evidence  of  some  alcoholic  fer- 
mentation :  the  mass  was  slightly  discolored,  presenting  the  boiled 
appearance  of  the  grass  preserved  by  the  East  Prussian  method  before 
described,  and  possessed  an  alcoholic  taste  and  odor. 


86  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER     XXL 


CORRESPONDENCE    FROM 


CT^:M::ES   s. 

WASSAIC,   N.  Y.,   FEB.    7,    1881 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Sir  : 

Yours  of  the  31st  ult.  at  hand.  In  reply,  I  will  endeavor  to 
partially  answer  your  questions,  thus  stating  what  little  I  know  about 
ensilage,  and  thus  fulfil  the  requests  made  by  you. 

I  consider  the  variety  of  Southern  corn  known  as  "White  Nor- 
folk" to  be  best  suited  for  ensilage.  "Blunt's  Prolific"  may  be 
better,  but  I  have  had  no  experience  with  it.  The  corn  should  be 
a  large-stalk-producing  variety ;  as  large  stalks,  beside  giving  a  larger 
yield  per  acre,  are  much  better  suited  for  ensilage  than  smaller  ones. 

Plant  in  drills,  with  sufficient  width  between  the  rows  to  permit  of 
horse  cultivation,  and  use  not  to  exceed  one  bushel  of  seed  per  acre. 

Upon  a  piece  of  five  acres  that  I  raised  last  season,  I  compute  the 
whole  cost  per  acre  of  planting  and  cultivation,  exclusive  of  fer- 
tilizers, to  be  about  seven  dollars  and  thirty  cents  ;  and,  as  the 
average  product  was  thirty  tons,  it  makes  the  cost  of  labor  per  ton 
less  than  twenty-five  cents. 

I  have  not  as  yet  raised  any  grains  or  grasses  for  ensilage,  other 
than  corn. 

I  have  used  for  cutting  ensilage  the  Telegraph  fodder-cutter, 
manufactured  by  Willson  Brothers  &  Co.,  of  Harrisburg,  Penn.  I 
like  this  machine  very  much  :  it  does  its  work  thoroughly  and  easily, 
although  its  capacity  (about  five  tons  per  hour)  may  be  too  limited 
for  some. 

The  ensilage  should  be  cut  a  half -inch  in  length,  or  less.  I  cut, 
last  season,  about  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  length,  at  the  rate  of 
twenty-five  to  thirty  tons  per  day ;  packed  and  tramped  it  down 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  JAMES  8.  CHAFFEE.      87 

thoroughly,  in  a  silo  fifty  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide,  and  sixteen 
feet  in  depth.  When  the  ensilage  was  all  in,  six  inches  of  uncut 
wheat  straw  was  placed  on  the  top,  the  whole  being  covered  with  an 
inch  and  a  quarter  spruce  plank,  of  sufficient  length  to  reach  across 
the  silo,  and  fit  closely  between  the  walls.  These  planks  were  weight- 
ed with  stone,  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  pounds  to  the  square  foot. 
The  ensilage  was  about  fourteen  feet  deep  :  it  settled  some  three  feet. 

When  the  plank  and  stone  were  taken  off  at  one  end,  two  months 
after  they  were  placed  thereon,  there  was  found  to  be  a  little  at  the 
top  unfit  for  use  ;  but  the  remainder  of  the  mass,  nearly  eleven  feet 
in  depth,  had  fermented  somewhat,  was  brown  in  color,  of  a  slightly 
alcoholic  odor.  On  being  placed  before  the  cattle,  some  ate  it  at 
once,  with  an  evident  relish  ;  and,  in  a  day  or  two,  every  animal  of 
a  herd  of  fifty  would  eat  ensilage  in  preference  to  any  other  forage. 

I  think  the  cost  should  not  exceed  two  dollars  per  ton,  all  expenses 
told,  to  grow  ensilage,  pack  it  in  the  silo,  and  place  it  before  the 
animal  for  consumption.  I  should  advise  a  parallelogram, — the 
length  three  or  four  times  the  width,  depth  sixteen  to  twenty  feet, 
corners  rounded,  or  filled  in.  to  make  the  angles  as  obtuse  as  possible, 
—  as  being  the  most  practical  form  of  silo. 

It  should  be  constructed  of  masonry ;  and,  if  cobble-stones  and 
gravel  are  easily  obtained,  concrete  walls  will  be  the  cheapest,  and  as 
durable  as  any  other.  For  one  month  I  fed  thirty  milch  cows  twice 
daily  upon  ensilage,  giving  them  from  sixty  to  seventy  pounds  each 
per  day,  with  about  ten  per  cent  of  that  weight  additional  in  oil-meal, 
wheat,  shorts,  and  hominy-chop.  There  is  nothing  I  have  ever  used, 
unless  it  may  be  roots,  and  plenty  of  them,  that  will  make  a  flow  of 
milk  equal  to  ensilage  of  fodder-corn,  for  winter  feeding. 

I  am  now  feeding  ensilage  but  once  per  day,  as  I  have  not  suffi- 
cient to  last  until  spring  without  supplementing  with  hay. 

The  ensilage  is  fed  in  the  morning ;  being  taken  from  the  silo  the 
previous  day,  and  exposed  to  the  air  for  fifteen  to  eighteen  hours, 
with  no  bad  results,  and  apparently  no  change  as  to  its  chemical 
properties.  It  is  fed  to  milch  cows,  and  the  same  rations  grains  are 
used  as  when  feeding  hay  or  other  forage.  I  do  not  think  it  will  cost 
more  than  one-half  as  much  to  winter  a  cow  with  ensilage  as  it  will 
with  dry  fodder,  while  the  milk  products  will  be  certainly  five  per 
cent  greater. 

A  neighbor  of  mine  has  made  the  experiment  of  feeding  a  portion 
of  his  dairy  upon  ensilaged  corn,  while  another  portion  were  fed 


88  IT.   -R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

upon  hay ;  and  the  milk  of  the  cows  fed  upon  ensilage  being  tested 
by  experienced  parties,  was  found  to  be  much  superior  in  quality  to 
the  milk  made  from  hay,  the  ration  of  grain  being  the  same  in  both 
cases.  I  have  cut  and  steamed  my  dried  forage  for  my  stock  for  a 
number  of  years  ;  but  I  find  the  silo  effects  a  great  saving  of  labor, 
compared  with  the  steam-box,  while  the  product  of  the  latter  is  in 
every  way  inferior  to  the  well-preserved  contents  of  the  former.  I 
think  a  ton  of  ensilage,  with  ten  per  cent  of  its  weight  additional  of 
oil-meal,  wheat,  shorts,  etc.,  is  sufficient  feed,  and  will  keep  an 
average  milking-cow  in  good  condition  and  flow  of  milk  for  one 
month  ;  and,  being  fed  at  that  rate,  the  cow  wintered  upon  ensilage 
will  thrive  better,  look  sleeker,  drink  less  water,  and  spring-time  will 
find  her  in  better  condition,  than  when  fed  upon  hay,  while  the  flow 
of  milk  will  be  considerably  greater. 

I  keep  no  sheep,  but  have  had  some  experience  with  them  in  past 
years,  and  should  consider  ensilage  a  valuable  food  for  them. 

Ensilage,  or  the  preserving  of  green  crops  for  winter  feeding,  will 
be  of  great  benefit  to  stock ;  as  it  will  give  them  a  juicy,  succulent 
food,  easily  masticated  and  digested,  in  place  of  the  dry,  hard,  and 
woody  forage  furnished  by  the  mow  or  stack. 

Ensilage  will  be  a  great  profit,  and  effect  a  great  saving,  to  the 
farmer,  as  it  will  certainly  permit  of  his  keeping  double  the  animals 
in  winter  kept  by  the  old  method,  and  at  the  same  expense. 

I  do  not  as  yet  know  how  successfully  ensilage  may  be  used  as  a 
summer  food  :  time  and  experiment  will  tell  that. 

I  have  practised  soiling  somewhat ;  and  possibly  ensilage  will  so 
supplement  soiling  that  we  may  keep  our  cattle  at  the  barn  the  year 
round.  Ensilage  is  a  subject  to-day  of  more  importance  to  the 
farmers  of  the  older  States  than  all  others  combined,  and  I  cannot 
commend  it  too  highly  to  my  brother  farmers  :  at  the  same  time,  I  do 
not  wish  to  give  such  rose-colored  accounts  of  the  results  of  feeding 
ensilage  as  will  tend  to  raise  doubts,  and  make  the  statement  seem 
improbable.  I  should  be  pleased  to  see  your  work  when  published ; 
and,  if  any  thing  I  have  written  is  of  any  service  to  you,  you  are 
welcome  to  use  it ;  or,  if  I  can  aid  you  any  further  in  the  matter, 
advise  me,  and  I  shall  be  happy  to  respond. 

Respectfully  yours, 

JAMES  S.  CHAFFEE. 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  0.   li.   POTTER.  89 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


:M::R,-  o.  IB.  IFOTTEIR,. 

NEW  YORK,  N.Y.,  JAN.  31,  1881. 


H.  R.  STEVENS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir: 

Though  I  think  my  address  before  the  State  Agricultural 
which   I  mail  }'ou,  gives  pretty  fully  my  experience,  I  will  try  to 
answer  your  inquiries  further,  as  well  as  my  experience  enables  me. 

I  have  practised  this  S}Tstem  for  three  years ;  have  applied  it  to 
common  fodder-corn,  red  clover,  pearl-millet,  West-India  millet,  or 
Guinea-corn,  green  rye,  green  oats,  and  mixed  grasses  in  which 
clover  predominated,  with  entire  success  in  every  case.  The  last 
year  I  preserved  about  one  hundred  tons  ;  and  during  this  summer  I 
have  put  down  about  two  hundred  tons,  and  have  added  sorghum 
and  sugar-cane  to  the  varieties  of  fodder  I  have  before  preserved.  I 
have  never  lost  an}r  fodder  whatever  thus  preserved  ;  but,  during  the 
whole  experiment,  it  has  been  perfectly  preserved,  and  better  than 
when  fed  fresh  and  green  from  the  field.  As  the  first  fermentation  is 
passed  in  the  process,  the  food  thus  preserved  has  no  tendency  either 
to  scour  or  bloat  the  animals  fed.  It  is  eaten  up  eagerly  and  clean, 
leaf  and  stalk,  without  an}r  loss  whatever ;  and  stock  thus  fed  exhibit 
the  highest  condition  of  health  and  thrift.  For  milch  cows,  to  which 
I  have  mainl}'  fed  it,  it  surpasses  any  other  food  I  have  ever  tried. 
It  increases  the  quanthty  of  milk  much  beyond  dried  food,  and  the 
quality  is  better  than  that  produced  from  the  same  fodder  when  fed 
fresh  and  green  from  the  field. 

As  you  will  see  by  my  report,  I  cure  all  my  corn,  clover,  green 
iye,  green  oats,  by  this  process.  I  always  cut  m}r  clover  twice,  and 
sometimes  three  times,  in  a  season.  I  put  down  last  year- — the  past 
summer  —  four  acres  green  rye,  two  acres  green  oats,  about  twenty 
acres  clover,  and  five  to  six  acres  of  corn. 


90  H.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

I  use  the  Daniels  large-sized  cutter,  and  thus  far  have  used  a  one- 
horse-power  to  drive  it.  I  intend  trying  to  get  the  maker  of  that 
cutter  to  make  one  larger,  to  be  driven  by  a  two-horse-power ;  but 
his  present  largest  size  cutter,  with  single  horse-power,  will  cut  the 
fodder  as  fast  as  two  men  can  feed  the  machine. 

The  finer  the  fodder  is  cut,  the  closer  and  better  it  will  pack.  I 
cut  mine  about  one  inch. 

Make  the  silos  narrow,  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide,  air-tight, 
weather-sealed,  and  the  deeper  the  better.  The  bottom  of  the  pit 
will  hold  and  turn  out  much  more  than  the  top,  because  the  fodder 
becomes  more  compact,  like  hay  in  a  deep  ha3*mow. 

It  costs  less  than  half,  in  time  and  labor,  to  raise  and  make  ready 
for  feeding  a  fodder  crop  by  this  process,  than  to  cure  the  same  by 
dr}*ing ;  and  I  think  the  same  crop,  cured  by  this  process,  worth 
more  than  twice  it  would  be  if  dried. 

Silos  should  be  made  from  seven  to  ten  feet  wide,  and  as  deep  as 
possible,  with  close  walls,  and  doors  dividing  them,  as  shown  in  my 
report.  The  reason  of  this  arises  from  the  fact,  that,  when  3*011  fill  a 
silo,  it  is  best  to  fill  it  up  as  soon  as  possible,  —  not  more  than  one  to 
two  days, —  and  then  cover  it  from  the  air,  and  leave  it  to  ferment 
and  settle  as  fast  as  it  will,  while  you  fill  the  next.  If  your  silo  is  so 
large  that  3*011  can  put  but  a  foot  or  two  in  depth  in  it  1)3*  one  day's 
work,  it  will  not  ferment  as  well  as  if  filled  and  covered  and  left  to 
ferment.  Sections  should  not  be  more  than  twenty  feet  long,  ten 
feet  wide,  and  fifteen  feet  deep.  It  will  take  about  seventy-five  tons 
of  green  corn,  before  cut,  to  fill  one  section,  and  from  one  to  two 
da3*s  to  fill  it  the  first  filling. 

It  is  also  important  the  sections  be  small,  in  order  that  when 
opened  for  second,  third,  or  fourth  fillings,  as  each  must  be,  the 
fermented  and  heated  mass  then  in  the  pit  be  exposed  to  the  air  as 
littte  as  possible,  and,  when  only  a  small  pit  is  opened,  the  new  fod- 
der can  be  at  once  poured  in,  and  the  air  will  yet  be  excluded  from 
the  heated  mass  below. 

The  green  fodder  is  drawn  from  the  field  as  fast  as  cut,  and  may 
be  cut  in  any  weather,  except  during  rain.  After  running  through 
the  cutting-machine,  it  is  deposited  and  trod  into  the  pit  firmly,  until 
the  pit  is  full.  The  doorway  at  the  end  of  this  pit,  having  already 
been  closed  by  placing  boards  across  it  upon  the  inside  as  the  filling 
progressed,  is  now  sealed  tightly  by  placing  other  boards  properly 
fastened  across  it  upon  the  outside  of  the  jambs,  and  filling  the  space 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  O.    B.    POTTER.  91 

between  the  jambs  with  well-compacted  earth,  so  that  no  air  can  pass 
into  the  pit  through  this  doorway. 

In  feeding  out  the  pits,  when  made  in  short  sections,  all  chance  of 
deterioration  from  exposure  te  the  air  is  avoided  by  opening  one 
small  pit  at  a  time.  % 

All  ensilage  I  have  put  down,  came  out  more  than  satisfactory. 
This  is  the  fourth  year  I  have  practised  ensilage,  and  I  never  lost 
ten  pounds  in  putting  down  several  hundred  tons. 

I  have  fed  moving  milch  cows  with  ensilage,  because  I  cannot 
spare  this  food  to  dry  stock. 

I  take  out  the  ensilage  usually  when  I  feed  it. 

I  cut  down  a  slice  one  to  two  feet  wide  as  wanted,  and  feed  as  cut, 
and  have  not  found  reason  to  expose  it  more  than  it  is  exposed  in 
distributing  in  the  mangers.  I  always  give  my  milch  cows  about 
three  quarts  meal  per  day,  corn  or  barley,  or  sometimes  two  quarts 
other,  and  one  quart  cotton-seed  meal.  Sometimes  I  put  the  meal 
on  the  ensilage,  but  usually  on  the  cut  hay,  moistened,  which  I  feed 
at  night.  This  is  best ;  as  no  meal  is  needed  to  make  the  cow  eat  the 
green  fodder  clean,  while  it  is  often  needed  to  make  her  eat  the  hay 
clean.  I  can't  compare  cost  of  corn-fodder  with  hay,  better  than  any 
one  else.  I  have  sowed  fodder-crops,  corn,  clover,  grass  more  than 
half  clover,  yard-millet,  West  India  millet,  sorghum,  and  sugar-cane. 
I  am  certain  it  costs  less  than  half  to  raise  and  prepare  for  feeding 
by  this  process,  than  by  drying  and  cutting  afterwards,  and  are 
worth  twice  as  much. 

Two  fodder-crops  per  year  are  easily  grown  the  same  year  on  the 
same  ground,  unless  it  be  sorghum  and  cane  ;  and  there  are  no  ex- 
ceptions here  and  farther  South,  the  first  being  sown  early,  and  no 
time  lost  in  putting  in  the  second  crop  after  first  is  off.  My  cows 
•  always  ate  ensilage  from  the  start  willingly  without  urging.  I  have 
not  fed  my  cattle  much  with  ensilage.  I  can't  spare  it  for  them 
till  I  get  more  pits.  I  have  computed  how  much  ensilage  will  feed 
a  cow  six  months :  it  will  depend  on  the  cow,  the  kind  of  ensilage, 
and  how  well  you  feed  her.  The  same  food  cured  this  way  will  make 
more  milk  and  flesh  than  if  dried. 

Cattle  fed  on  ensilage  as  I  feed  them  are  sleek  and  fat  and  healthy, 
and  always  fit  for  the  butcher  when  milked  dry.  They  look  better 
and  do  better  than  when  fed  on  dry  food  only.  I  do  not  keep  sheep, 
but  fed  six  on  corn  ensilage  for  several  weeks,  and  they  did  finely ; 
never  saw  any  do  better,  and  all  brought  fine  lambs,  and  both  dams 


92  H.    E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

and  lambs  were  healthy.  Don't  know  what  it  costs  to  keep  sheep ; 
less  than  on  same  crops  fed  dry,  because  they  ate  all  stalk  and  leaf 
clean.  I  think  sheep  thrive  fully  as  well  on  ensilage  as  on  hay  :  can't 
say  further. 

I  practised  "  soiling  "  until  I  learned  ensilage,  but  not  since,  as  I 
consider  this  method  of  feeding  much  the  best. 

In  addition  to  the  fact  that  fodder  thus  preserved  has  no  tendency 
to  scour  or  bloat  cattle,  another  important  advantage  is  gained  by  this 
process.  These  fodder-crops  may  be  allowed  to  attain  a  much  larger 
and  more  substantial  growth  before  cutting  than  is  practicable  when 
the  same  crops  are  fed  fresh  from  the  field. 

During  my  absence  from  home  in  the  summer  of  1879,  my  foreman 
had  inadvertently  allowed  a  field  of  about  four  acres  of  pearl-millet  to 
attain  so  large  and  hard  a  growth  that  my  cows  wholly  rejected  the 
stalks,  and  would  eat  only  the  leaves  when  the  millet  was  offered 
them  green. 

By  way  of  experiment,  and  without  much  confidence  in  the  result, 
I  cut  about  one-fourth  of  this  field,  and  filled  one  of  my  pits  with  it. 
The  remainder  of  the  field  was  cured  by  drying  in  shocks  in  the 
ordinary  way.  This  last  was  found  so  near  worthless  for  feeding 
dry,  that  it  was  used  for  litter  in  the  barnyards,  and  for  covering 
ice.  That  preserved  in  the  pit  was  opened  and  fed  in  April  last. 
My  cows  ate  it  all,  leaf  and  stalk,  eagerly,  without  any  loss  or  waste 
whatever ;  and  it  was  fully  equal  in  value  to  the  same  quantity  of  the 
best  corn-fodder  preserved  in  the  pits. 

First,  —  The  preserving  pits  must  be  wholly  air-tight,  so  that  when 
sealed  the  air  cannot  come  in  contact  with  the  food  preserved. 

Second,  —  The  pits  should  be  of  such  form  and  dimensions  as  will 
best  facilitate  the  settling  and  compacting  of  the  food  into  a  solid 
mass,  and  when  opened  for  feeding  will  expose  as  small  a  part  of  the  • 
surface  to  the  atmosphere  as  practicable. 

Third,  —  The  fodder  must  be  cut  green,  when  in  the  best  condition 
or  in  bloom,  passed  immediately  through  the  cutting-machine  to 
reduce  it  to  uniform  short  lengths  of  not  more  than  one  inch,  and  at 
once  be  deposited  and  trod  firmly  into  the  pit ;  sufficient  salt  being 
used  to  render  it  palatable,  but  no  more.  As  fermentation,  which 
will  commence  at  once,  proceeds,  and  the  mass  settles,  the  cutting 
and  treading-in  of  fresh  fodder  must  be  continued  at  intervals  of 
thirty-six  to  forty-eight  hours  (depending  upon  the  rapidity  with 
which  fermentation  and  settling  proceeds) ,  until  settling  has  ceased, 
and  no  more  can  be  trod  into  the  pit. 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  O.    B.   POTTER.  93 

Fourth, — The  pit  as  soon  as  completely  filled,  and  settling  has 
ceased,  must  be  securely  sealed  to  exclude  the  air  wholly  and  arrest 
fermentation,  and  must  be  kept  so  sealed  until  opened  for  use. 

The  pits  being  now  full,  and  settling  having  nearly  or  quite  ceased, 
must  be  immediately  and  thoroughly  sealed  over  the  whole  top  surface 
of  the  fodder  by  a  well-compacted  layer  of  clean  earth  not  less  than 
six  inches  thick.  This  covering  of  earth  should  be  afterwards  exam- 
ined at  least  twice,  at  intervals  of  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  any  cracks 
that  appear  be  closed  with  fresh  earth.  A  covering  of  straw  or  hay 
not  more  than  two  inches  thick  may  be  laid  over  the  fodder  before 
the  earth  covering  is  applied,  but  this  is  immaterial  other  than  as  a 
matter  of  neatness.  In  feeding,  the  fodder  should  be  cut  down  and 
fed  from  one  end  of  the  pit  in  sections  of  convenient  width,  the  earth 
being  first  removed  from  each  section.  If  open  pits  are  used,  a  layer 
of  hay  or  straw  may  be  put  over  the  pit  when  filled  and  sealed,  to 
protect  the  contents  from  frost  in  winter,  if  necessary.  I  have  not 
found  any  pressure  or  weight  upon  the  fodder  other  than  the  earth- 
covering  required.  If  additional  weight  is  desired,  a  heavier  covering 
of  earth  will  accomplish  this,  and  make  the  sealing  at  the  same  time 
more  perfect. 

MIXING    FODDER   IN   THE    PITS. 

Much  advantage  will  be  gained  by  mixing  clover  and  grass  t  in 
which  clover  predominates,  in  the  same  pit  through  fodder-corn, 
millet,  or  sorghum.  The  clover  becomes,  after  the  first  fermenta 
tion,  a  putty-like  mass,  which  fills  the  interstices  in  coarser  and  more 
fibrous  fodder,  and  thus  makes  the  whole  much  more  compact  and 
weighty  than  it  would  otherwise  be>  while  it  improves  the  quality  of 
the  food. 

By  this  system,  red-clover,  fodder-corn,  pearl-millet,  or  Guinea- 
corn,  hitherto  the  most  uncertain,  difficult,  and  expensive,  to  cure 
and  preserve  of  all  our  crops,  become  the  easiest  and  least  expensive 
in  these  respects,  while  their  value  as  cattle-food  is  greatly  increased 
over  the  same  crops  cured  by  drying  in  the  usual  mode.  This  system, 
when  understood  and  practised  throughout  the  country,  may  become 
no  mean  factor  in  our  national  prosperity. 

By  it,  through  the  great  increase  of  the  best  cattle-food,  which 
may  be  produced  at  greatly-diminished  cost  upon  the  worn  lauds  of 
the  Eastern  and  Middle  States,  these  lands  may  be  renewed  and 
enriched,  and  their  owners  be  materially  aided,  especially  in  dairying, 


94  H.   B.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

in  their  now  difficult  competition  with  the  cheaper  and  richer  lands  of 
the  West. 

By  it,  also,  the  Southern  States,  below  the  line  of  our  Northern 
grasses,  are  enabled  to  feed  and  fatten  their  cattle  in  winter  and 
summer  as  well,  and  nearly  or  quite  as  cheaply,  as  where  tame  grasses 
abound. 

If  I  can  aid  the  farmers  of  Massachusetts  any  by  my  opinions,  I 
shall  be  glad.  I  was  bred  upon  a  farm  in  Charlemont,  Mass.  ;  and  if 
the  same  energy,  attention,  and  pluck  were  in  operation  there  now, 
upon  the  farms,  the  hills  would  be  green  and  covered  with  flocks  to 
their  tops,  and  that  State  would  be  less  dependent  than  now  on  the 
West  and  South,  while  we  would  continue  to  be  the  nursery  of  hardy 
manhood  for  business  and  the  nation.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  and 
read  your  book. 

Very  truly  yours, 

O.  B.  POTTER, 
26  Lafayette  Place  (Farm  at  Sing  Sing,  N.Y.). 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


CTA-OOIB 

WASSAIC,  N.Y.,  FEB.   5,   1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir: 

Yours  in  relation  to  ensilage  is  just  received.  Your  questions  are 
very  comprehensive  to  be  answered  by  one  who  has  had  but  one  sea- 
son's experience,  and  that  by  no  means  thorough :  consequently,  I 
must  first  confess  that  on  many  points  I  should  be  a  very  blind  guide, 
and  can  support  my  opinions  by  very  few  facts. 

I  will  take  up  your  questions  in  order. 

I  am  quite  sure  that  the  large-growing  Southern  corn  is  best  adapted 
for  the  purpose  of  ensilage^ ;  but  new  varieties  with  stronger  tendency 


COliRESPONDENCE   OF  JACOB   PUGSLEY.  95 

to  great  size  uud  product  of  sugar  may  soon  be  produced,  or  perhaps 
are  already  to  be  found. 

The  cost  varies  so  much  in  different  localities,  owing  to  price  of 
labor  and  quality  of  soil,  that  my  statement  is  worthless,  except  for 
this  vicinity.  For  me,  about  five  dollars  per  acre  is  the  cost  of  getting 
the  corn  ready  for  the  sickle,  then  about  seventy-five  cents  per  ton 
for  putting  in  the  silo,  if  it  is  not  to  be  hauled  more  than  one-fourth 
mile.  This  does  not  include  any  fertilizers. 

My  corn  was  on  a  poor  field,  with  no  manure.  It  yielded  about 
twelve  tons  per  acre.  The  season  was  rather  favorable  to  a  large 
growth  of  stalks. 

I  have  not  ensilaged  any  thing  but  corn.  Shall  put  up  some  clover 
and  grass  next  year. 

I  used  a  Daniels  cutter,  which  worked  very  well.  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  other  machines,  but  think  that  a  much  larger  one  with 
more  powerful  feed-rollers  would  be  better. 

A  length  of  less  than  three-fourths  inch  has  proved  satisfactory. 
I  would  advise  cutting  shorter  rather  than  longer.  I  have  built  one 
silo  of  two  compartments,  each  twenty-five  by  sixteen  feet,  and  ten 
feet  deep  ;  shall  raise  the  walls  to  fourteen  feet  next  season.  I  com- 
menced the  work  late,  and  the  walls  were  not  properly  hardened  when 
it  was  full,  so  that  I  did  not  dare  put  on  more  than  six  inches  of 
stone. 

The  ensilage  was  a  little  more  sour  than  I  expected,  owing,  I  think, 
entirely  to  the  air  not  being  sufficiently  driven  out  by  pressure.  Still 
the  cattle  eat  it  well,  and  do  well  on  it,  though  not  as  greedy  for  it  as 
in  other  cases  reported. 

I  employed  four  men  to  cut  the  corn,  and  lay  it  on  wagons,  which 
were  driven  close  beside  the  corn,  three  men  at  the  cutter  (I  do  not 
doubt  that  in  a  year  or  two  we  shall  get  on  just  as  well  with  only  one 
at  the  cutter) ,  and  two  men  in  the  silo  to  level  and  pack  the  ensilage, 
the  silo  standing  with  one  end  in  side  hill,  so  that  the  cutter  was  at 
the  top,  also  a  boy  to  drive  teams  ;  in  all,  ten  men  and  four  teams. 
Part  of  these  I  hired  for  the  job,  and  part  were  my  own  men  and 
teams.  We  put  up  twenty  tons  per  day,  working  about  four-fifths  of 
the  day.  Counting  my  own  men  and  teams  at  the  same  rate  as  those 
I  hired,  the  cost  was  seventy-five  cents  per  ton,  including  board  of 
men  and  teams.  The  cost  per  ton  of  ensilage  varies  so  much  with 
the  quality  of  land,  and  the  season,  that  one  year's  trial  is  hardly  a 
safe  basis  for  an  opinion.  Allowing  six  per  cent  on  twice  the  selling 


96  n.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

value  of  the  land,  my  own  cost  me  about  two  dollars  per  ton  in  the 
silo. 

In  regard  to  size  and  shape  of  silo,  every  thing  would  depend  on 
the  size  of  farm  and  the  method  of  using  ensilage.  If  one  intended  to 
make  the  ensilage  merely  a  small  adjunct  to  the  other  farming,  then  a 
comparatively  large  single  silo  would  be  best ;  but  my  own  opinion  is, 
that,  where  ensilage  is  practised,  the  whole  arable  portion  of  the  farm 
will  be  devoted  to  it ;  and  in  this  case  smaller  silos,  holding  about  a 
hundred  and  twenty-five  tons  each,  will  be  far  better,  as  we  shall 
have  a  succession  of  crops  to  put  in.  Also,  one  of  the  smaller  silos 
can  be  filled  sooner,  which  I  regard  as  of  much  importance.  To  hold 
the  above  amount,  a  silo  must  be  twenty-five  feet  long,  sixteen  feet 
wide,  and  fourteen  feet  deep,  and  must  be  filled  a  second  time  after 
the  first  filling  has  settled.  Six  such  silos  in  a  set  will  hold  feed  for 
a  hundred  cows,  allowing  one  each  for  rye  and  millet,  and  two  each 
for  clover  and  corn.  Then,  in  feeding,  a  variety  can  be  given  each 
day.  If  built  in  this  way  the  silos  would,  of  course,  be  placed  side 
by  side  ;  being,  in  fact,  one  great  silo  with  partitions,  each  compart- 
ment having  its  own  opening  into  the  stable. 

In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  concrete  of  water-lime,  sand,  and  small 
stones,  will  be  far  cheaper  and  better  than  any  other  material. 

I  have  been  feeding  ensilage  once  a  day  to  cows  for  three  months  ; 
have  fed  no  other  stock. 

The  cows  eat  it  clean,  and  do  well  on  it.  Some  that  I  have  fed 
for  two  weeks  on  ensilage  three  times  a  day,  and  no  other  food 
except  about  eight  pounds  of  corn-meal  and  bran,  have  gained  fully 
ten  per  cent  in  milk ;  previously,  they  were  fed  the  same  grain,  ensi- 
lage once  a  day,  and  good  hay  ad  libitum. 

It  is  immaterial  as  to  what  time  of  the  day  it  is  fed.  I  do  not 
expose  the  ensilage  to  the  air  before  feeding,  as  fermentation  has 
already  progressed  a  little  too  far,  owing  to  the  air  not  being  thor- 
oughly expelled  by  pressure  immediately  after  filling  the  silo. 

No  perceptible  change  takes  place  in  the  ensilage,  if  thrown  down 
in  a  heap  for  two  or  three  days  before  feeding.  This  may  be  owing 
to  the  cold  weather ;  though  I  think  not,  but  suppose  the  ensilage  to 
be  in  a  condition  which  does  not  specially  induce  further  decomposi- 
tion. 

I  feed  about  twenty  pounds  once  a  day  to  each  of  my  cows,  eight 
pounds  grain,  and  what  hay  they  will  eat. 

I  think  six  tons  of  ensilage  can  be  put  up  as  cheaply  as  one  ton  of 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  JACOB   PUGSLEY.  97 

good  hay,  including  in  expenses  all  labor  and  interest  on  land.  Good 
hay  cannot  be  produced  at  less  than  twelve  dollars  per  ton,  and  I  think 
ensilage  can  be  as  easily  furnished  at  two  dollars. 

My  milk  is  sold  to  a  condensing  factory :  the  inspector  could  not 
detect  any  marked  difference  between  that  made  on  ensilage  and  that 
made  from  hay. 

The  difference  in  cost  of  feeding  on  ensilage  or  on  hay  would  not 
be  important,  probably  rather  in  favor  of  ensilage,  if  stables  and 
silos  were  properly  arranged. 

Nearly  all  my  cows  ate  the  ensilage  at  the  first  feeding,  and  all  of 
them  after  the  second  or  third  ration. 

I  have  no  sheep. 

I  am  convinced  that  we  shall  soon  be  feeding  our  cattle  upon  ensi- 
lage in  the  summer,  as  well  as  in  winter,  though  I  have  never  prac- 
tised soiling. 

After  weighing  my  feed  with  some  care,  I  am  satisfied  that  fifty- 
five  pounds  per  day  of  ensilage,  with  eight  pounds  of  grain,  is  a  full 
feeding  for  a  cow  of  ordinary  size,  giving  not  more  than  ten  quarts 
of  milk  per  day.  Heavier  milkers  should  have  more  grain,  which 
should  not  be  corn,  but  oats,  bran,  linseed  or  cotton-seed  meals. 
This  refers  to  corn  ensilage ;  probably  clover,  rye,  or  millet  would 
take  much  less  of  both  grain  and  ensilage. 

I  do  not  see  any  marked  difference  in  the  appearance  of  cattle  fed 
on  hay  or  on  ensilage.  I  think  the  chief  points  for  most  farmers 
to  bear  in  mind  in  going  into  this  system  are  :  First,  good  walls  to 
the  silo.  Any  farmer  can  make  these  by  getting  clean  sand  and  good 
cement,  and  following  the  directions  given  for  mixing  and  laying 
walls  ;  and  this  should  be  done  in  the  spring,  so  as  to  allow  plenty  of 
time  for  the  walls  to  harden,  before  any  strain  is  put  on  them.  Sec- 
ond, cutting  the  ensilage  short.  I  think  a  very  large  cutter,  and 
steam-power  for  driving  it,  will  be  found  best  and  cheapest  in  the 
end.  Small  farmers  could  combine  to  purchase  these,  and  also  in 
the  labor  of  filling  their  silos.  Third,  quick  filling  of  silos,  not  more 
than  three  days  at  most. 

Indeed,  wherever  practicable,  I  should  advise  that  the  silo  be  filled, 
and  the  stone  put  on,  in  one  day,  even  at  some  extra  expense.  This 
point  is  not  insisted  upon  by  writers  on  the  subject,  but  I  shall  need 
considerable  experience  to  convince  me  that  it  is  not  a  very  important 
matter.  Fourth,  heavy  pressure,  not  less  than  one  foot  of  stone  and 
more,  if  possible,  should  be  placed  on  the  ensilage,  instantly  after 


98  H.    It.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

filling.     Whoever  will  carry  out  thoroughly  these  four  demands  of 
the  system,  will  be  more  than  satisfied  with  ensilage. 

The  advantages  of  ensilage  are  several.  In  the  first  place,  it  will 
enable  any  active  farmer  to  keep  twice  his  present  amount  of  an}* 
kind  of  stock,  and,  within  three  years,  to  raise  fodder  for  a  cow  on 
every  acre  of  arable  land,  and  also  to  increase  this  amount  thereafter 
indefinitely ;  being  practically  limited  only  by  his  personal  capacity 
and  judgment.  At  present  prices  of  cheese  and  butter,  there  would 
be  twent}r  dollars  per  acre  net  profit  for  every  acre,  which  would  keep 
a  cow,  after  paying  for  all  labor  and  grain. 

The  system  being  equally  adapted  to  feeding  sheep,  or  hogs,  or 
making  beef,  will  prevent  any  undue  increase  of  dairying.  The 
remoter  consequences  of  the  greats-increased  production  of  the  soil 
are  incalculable :  the  lessening  of  labor,  the  improvement  of  food, 
and  many  like  advantages,  will  soon  follow  the  general  inauguration 
of  this  s}rstem. 

It  will  also  assist  enormously  in  making  mankind  independent  of 
the  weather  ;  for  the  constant  use  of  the  plough  and  cultivator,  and  the 
raising  of  strong,  growing  crops,  will  greatly  obviate  the  difficulties 
from  drought ;  while  the  serious  loss  and  expense  of  harvesting  crops 
in  wet  seasons  will  be  very  greatly  diminished  by  this  method  of  pre- 
serving. Very  great  improvements  will,  doubtless,  soon  be  made  in 
all  the  machinery  for  harvesting  crops,  so  as  to  reduce  the  labor  ne- 
cessary as  much  proportionately  as  it  is  done  in  manufacturing,  com- 
pared with  the  processes  of  thirty  years  ago.  It  is  quite  probable, 
too,  that  farming  on  this  system  will  become  attractive  to  men  of 
executive  capacity,  and  that  organizing  faculty  which  has  hitherto 
sought  its  fields  of  action  everywhere  except  on  the  farm,  to  the  great 
detriment  of  agriculture.  If  I  have  omitted  any  thing  essential,  you 
can  write  me  again.  I  expect  to  increase  my  silos  materially  next 
season. 

Yours, 

J.  PUGSLEY. 


CORRESPONDENCE   OF  F.    S.    PEER.  91) 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


.  IF.  s.  IFIEIEIR,. 

E.   PALMYRA,    N.Y. 


MY  DEAR  SIR  : 

In  reply  to  your  request  concerning  the  result  of  my  experience 
with  "  ensilage,"  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  say  that  1  did  not 
adopt  the  system  because  it  was  a  new  thing,  nor  as  an  experiment ; 
for  I  have  neither  time  to  devote  nor  money  to  expend  on  uncertain- 
ties, but  because  through  the  evidence  of  my  five  senses  I  was  con- 
vinced that  it  was  practical.  I  saw  stock  of  all  kinds  eating  and 
thriving.  I  tasted,  and  found  nothing  disagreeable.  In  smelling  could 
detect  nothing  offensive  ;  and  when  I  heard,  from  men  on  whose  word 
and  judgment  I  could  rely,  the  same  universal  testimony  of  its  mer- 
its, I  began  to  feel  that  it  was  no  longer  an  experiment,  but  the  legiti- 
mate offspring  of  the  mother  of  invention,  which  like  other  great 
improvements  are  born  to  the  day  of  necessity. 

It  was  therefore  without  a  misgiving  that  I  set  to  work  overhauling 
an  old  stone  carriage-house.  It  was  easily  converted  into  a  silo  by 
taking  out  the  hay-loft  floor  and  stalls  before  walling  up  the  doors  and 
windows,  except  one  in  the  gable  end,  through  which  the  silo  was 
filled  ;  another  in  the  opposite  end  on  the  ground,  nearly  level  with 
the  bottom  of  the  silo,  which  we  find  very  convenient  in  taking  out 
the  ensilage.  The  walls  were  given  a  coat  of  water-lime,  the  floor  of 
cement.  The  building  was  eighteen  by  twenty-eight  feet  and  fifteen 
feet  deep,  inside  measurement ;  capacity  three  hundred  tons. 

Were  I  to  build  new,  should  make  the  building  longer  and  nar- 
rower, say  fourteen  by  forty  feet,  and  fifteen  or  eighteen  feet  deep. 
The  deeper  the  better.  It  takes  no  more  plank  or  weight  to  press 
ensilage  that  is  fifteen  feet  in  depth  than  it  does  five,  and  requires  no 
more  roofing. 


100  H.   K.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

My  experience  in  growing  corn-fodder  is,  that  it  is  much  better 
sown  in  drills,  three  or  three  and  a  half  feet  apart.  It  then  can  be 
cultivated,  which  will  add  at  least  one- third  to  its  growth. 

As  the  broad  leaves  of  the  growing  corn  receive  from  the  air  and 
sun  a  large  per  cent  of  its  feeding  value,  it  is  therefore  very  essen- 
tial that  the  stalks  should  have  plenty  of  room  for  the  full  develop- 
ment of  its  leaves  ;  for  in  them  is  contained  the  principal  virtue  of  the 
plant  as  a  food.  Therefore,  in  determining  what  kind  of  corn  is  best 
to  grow  for  fodder,  the  most  leafy  variety  should  be  selected.  I  find 
the  Western  Dent  to  be  better  in  this  respect,  than  our  common  field- 
corn. 

Last  season  we  sowed  at  the  rate  of  two,  two  and  a  half,  and  three 
bushels  of  corn  per  acre.  I  am  convinced  that  two  are  sufficient. 
We  put  it  in  with  our  common  field-grain  drill,  letting  the  tubes  of 
tooth  No.  1  and  3  discharge  into  No.  2,  closing  No.  4,  letting  5  and 
7  into  No.  6,  closing  8,  uniting  9  and  11  into  No.  10. 

In  a  nine-tooth  drill  begin  by  closing  No.  1,  and  proceed  as  above 
described.  The  eleven-tooth  drill  puts  in  3,  the  nine-tooth  drill  2, 
rows  at  a  time,  the  wheel-tracks  serving  as  a  guide  on  return  bouts. 

Began  harvesting  the  fodder,  one  man  managed  the  reaper,  two  to 
bind,  assisted  occasionally  by  the  one  who  reaped.  Two  men,  each 
with  a  one-horse  lumber- wagon,  drew  the  fodder  to  the  silo,  one  load- 
ing in  the  field  while  the  other  was  unloading  at  the  cutter,  a  "  Silver 
and  Deming,"  manufactured  at  Salem,  O.,  with  a  twelve-foot  carrier 
attached,  to  convey  the  fodder  into  the  silo. 

After  cutting  it  three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  which  it  did  as  fast 
as  two  men  could  feed  it,  it  was  run  by  an  eight-horse-power  thresh- 
ing-engine, thirty  to  forty  pounds  of  steam  being  sufficient  to  run  it, 
four  knives  making  five  hundred  and  fifty  to  six  hundred  revolutions 
per  minute.  A  man  was  employed  in  the  building,  to  spread  and 
tread  down  the  fodder.  Besides  the  engineer,  eight  men  were  four 
days  doing  the  work,  putting  in  five  and  a  half  acres  at  the  rate  of 
forty  tons  per  day.  We  supposed  that  five  acres  would  be  enough 
to  fill  the  silo ;  but,  with  the  addition  of  a  half-acre,  it  was  then  but 
half-filled. 

When  through  cutting,  we  covered  the  fodder  with  a  foot  and  a 
half  of  uncut  straw,  on  which  we  placed  a  covering  of  rough  two- 
inch  hemlock  plank  :  on  them  was  piled  stone  a  foot  or  more  in  depth. 
The  silo  was  opened  Nov.  12  ;  and  the  fodder  was  found  in  a  good 
condition,  except  up  and  down  the  door-jamb  some  ten  or  twelve 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  F.    S.   PEER.  101 

bushels  were  spoiled.  We  began  forthwith  to  feed  ensilage  to  all  my 
stock,  sheep,  colts,  calves,  and  milch-cows,  at  the  rate  of  fifty 
bushels  per  day. 

Having  no  personal  knowledge  of  the  chemical  analysis  of  ensi- 
lage, I  do  not  propose  to  enter  upon  a  hair-splitting  discussion  of  its 
value  as  compared  with  other  feed.  The  question  that  every  practi- 
cal farmer  wants  to  know  is,  "What  is  the  result?"  I  will  state 
as  briefly  as  possible  what  I  have  found  to  be  its  influence  as  a  feed 
for  milch-cows,  upon  the  quantity,  qualit}r,  and  color  of  butter. 

Before  opening  the  silo,  we  fed  corn-stalks,  having  no  hay,  morn- 
ing and  night,  wheat-straw  at  noon.  As  may  be  supposed,  the  but- 
ter was  white,  lacked  flavor,  and  the  grain  more  inclined  to  be  salvy : 
it  was  poor  stuff.  After  a  few  da}'s  we  added  two  quarts  of  meal, 
with  roots  (yellow  cord  beets)  at  noon.  The  quantity  of  milk  was 
somewhat  increased,  but  not  as  much  as  I  expected  it  would  be.  On 
opening  the  silo,  Nov.  12,  we  began  feeding  ensilage  twice  a  da}', 
morning  and  night.  The  fourth  day  the  quantity  of  milk  was  nearly 
double :  as  to  the  butter,  it  was  nearly  equal  in  flavor  and  color  to 
that  made  in  summer  from  grass.  We  send  it  to  our  regular  custom- 
ers without  a  particle  of  coloring.  We  continued  feeding  in  this  way 
for  five  or  six  weeks  with  the  same  pleasing  results.  When,  in  order 
to  dispose  of  our  coarse  fodder,  we  substituted  corn-stalks  and  bar- 
ley-straw for  the  morning  feeding  of  ensilage,  the  change  in  the 
amount  of  milk  and  butter  was  very  marked,  shrinking  about  quarter: 
the  color  was  considerable  lighter.  Hoping  to  make  up  for  this 
deficiency,  we  added  two  quarts  of  corn-meal  per  head  to  the  ration 
of  dry  fodder ;  but  it  did  not  fully  compensate  for  the  feeding  of 
ensilage  in  the  quality  and  color  of  the  butter,  while  the  amount  was 
increased  to  about  the  same  as  from  the  two  feedings  of  ensilage. 

We  have  now  been  feeding  ensilage  for  three  months  to  milch  cows, 
colts,  young  cattle,  and  sheep,  at  the  rate  of  forty  bushels  per  day. 
The  one  hundred  and  sixty  tons  is  about  half  gone,  requiring  less 
than  three  acres  to  keep  eighty  head,  fifty-five  of  which  are  long-wool 
sheep  ;  total,  equivalent  to  thirty-five  head  of  cattle. 

The  following  is  the  table  of  cost  of  five  and  one-half  acres  of 
ensilage  fodder  or  one  hundred  and  sixty  tons :  — 


102 


H.   B.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


HARVESTING,  CUTTING,  PACKING,  AND  PRESSING. 

Total. 

Pei- 
Acre. 

Per 
Ton. 

Eight  hands,  $1.00  per  clay,  four  days  .... 

$32  00 

Engine  and  engineer,  $4.00  per  day     .... 

16  00 

Fuel  for  engine,  $1.20  per  day      ..... 

4  80 

"Total  cost  of  labor  to  secure  160  tons  ensilage    . 
Cost  of  seed,  filling  ground,  and  cultivating 

$52  80 
27  50 

$9  60 
5  00 

.33 
.17 

Total  cost        

$80  30 

$14  60 

.50 

This  does  not  include  use  of  building  and  tools.  I  feel  sure  that  I 
can  do  the  work  for  less  another  season.  I  cannot  speak  too  highly 
of  the  reaper  that  we  used  to  cut  the  fodder,  a  "  D.  M.  Osborn,  No. 
3,"  manufactured  at  Auburn,  N.Y.  It  did  the  work  in  a  most  satis- 
factor}r  manner  without  a  break.  The  corn  had  attained  an  enormous 
growth,  from  nine  to  ten  feet  high,  cutting  two  rows  at  a  time,  throw- 
ing off  bundles  with  every  other  rake. 

It  is  also  needless  to  add  that  I  am  well  pleased  with  my  first  trial, 
and  expect  to  ensilage  more  next  fall. 

Yours  respectfully, 

F.   S.  PEER. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


CORRESPONDENCE   FROM 


:M::R,.  -w.  a. 

NONANTUM  HILL  NURSERY,  BRIGHTON,  MASS.,  FEB.  22,  1881. 


MR.  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

Dear  Sir: 

My  experiments  with  ensilage  were  limited  to  Hungarian  grass 
during  the  season  of  1880.  Noticing  the  statements  of  Dr.  Faxon, 
in  regard  to  his  success  with  grass  cut  veiy  early  in  the  season,  and 
in  a  succulent  state,  packed  away  without  passing  through  the 
cutter,  I  made  inquiries  of  him  and  of  Dr.  Bailey  and  others  as  to 


CORRESPONDENCE  OF  W.    C.    STRONG.  103 

the  probable  result  of  putting  down  Hungarian  in  a  silo  without 
cutting.  It  wras  the  opinion  of  all,  that,  if  carefully  done,  it  would 
keep.  Wishing  to  avoid  the  expense  of  a  cutter  and  steam-power, 
I  determined  to  venture  a  trial.  1  filled  a  silo,  twenty  feet  by  twenty 
feet  and  ten  feet  deep,  with  perfectly  clean  Hungarian,  when  in  just 
the  condition  to  cut  for  hay,  spreading  it  evenly,  and  treading  with 
great  care,  filling  about  two  feet  in  depth  daily.  When  finished,  it 
was  covered,  and  weighted  after  the  most  approved  manner.  The 
result  is,  that  I  am  now  carting  the  contents  of  the  silo  to  the  manure- 
heaps,  to  work  in  as  compost.  It  is  now  plain  to  see,  that,  notwith- 
standing the  thorough  treading  and  weighting,  enough  oxygen  would 
remain  in  the  stems  and  small  spaces  to  keep  up  the  fermentation 
until  the  ensilage  was  ruined.  Of  course,  every  one  is  now  wise 
enough  to  see  that  I  ought  to  have  known  better  than  to  make  the 
trial ;  but  I  can  comfort  myself  with  the  credit  of  a  voluntary  mar- 
tyrdom for  the  public  good. 

This  first  experiment  was  at  my  house-farm  in  Newton ;  but  I 
also  had  a  twelve-acre  lot  in  Brighton  sowed  with  this  seed,  and 
designed  for  ha}*.  Immediately  after  sowing,  the  weather  was  hot 
and  dry  ;  which  checked  the  seed  in  starting,  but  developed  a  prodi- 
gious crop  of  rag-weed  (Ambrosia  artemisice  folia) .  As  a  conse- 
quence, the  grass  was  largely  choked  out,  the  enormous  growth  being 
at  least  sixty  per  cent  of  weeds.  What  to  do  with  this  burden,  was 
the  question.  Having  a  deeper-seated  water-tank  and  also  a  good 
engine,  all  at  hand,  I  had  only  to  buy  a  Baldwin  cutter,  and  at  little 
expense  I  could  determine  what  the  new  process  would  do  for 
weeds.  Of  course  we  cut  them  fine,  and  a  man  on  horseback 
packed  them  down  solid.  We  averaged  about  two  feet  in  depth  per 
da}',  and  somewhat  over  one  hundred  tons  within  the  week  of  cut- 
ting. The  heat  was  so  well  driven  out  as  the  work  proceeded,  that 
there  was  not  much  doubt  that  the  stuff  would  keep.  Its  value  was 
another  question,  which  could  only  be  answered  by  trial.  If  you  say 
it  is  unreasonable  to  expect  to  take  out  any  better  than  3*011  put  in, 
I  will  simply  give  facts  in  reply.  Having  no  cattle  to  feed,  I  sold 
the  ensilage  to  a  milkman  at  six  dollars  per  ton ;  he  doing  the  cart- 
ing for  a  distance  of  four  miles,  and  paying  the  weigh  fees.  As  the 
feed  is  dripping  wet,  it  weighs  well,  and  turns  out  to  be  worth  a  good 
de:^l  more  than  if  it  had  been  pure  Hungarian  and  had  been  made 
into  hay.  The  very  strange  thing  is  this :  that  the  cows  are  wild  to 
get  the  fodder,  — lick  up  the  last  vestige  of  it,  — give  a  good  flow  of 


104  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

excellent  milk,  and  seem  to  be  in  excellent  condition.  The  cows  are 
emphatic  in  their  agreement  with  their  owner  and  myself,  that  the 
food  is  better  than  when  it  went  in.  It  will  keep  several  da}Ts  with- 
out injury  after  taking  it  out,  and  is  considered  b}~  the  purchaser  to 
be  the  cheapest  food  he  can  give  his  cows.  Of  course,  it  is  a  little 
mortifying  to  make  public  my  first  failure,  and  second  quasi-success  ; 
but  it  is  only  by  these  various  trials  that  we  can  determine  the  true 
value  of  this  new  process.  With  corn  as  the  material,  and  a  fine 
cut  and  solid  pack  to  follow,  the  result  need  not  in  any  case  be 
doubtful.  That  Hungarian  will  keep  perfectly  when  cut,  I  have  no 
doubt ;  neither  do  I  doubt  its  high  value  for  fodder ;  but,  of  course, 
it  will  not  }deld  any  thing  like  the  weight  per  acre  that  can  be  ob- 
tained from  corn.  Taking  into  consideration  the  enormous  yield 
which  can  be  expected,  the  ease  and  certainty  in  harvesting  in  an}^ 
weather,  the  great  economy  in  stowage,  the  ease  with  which  the 
fodder  can  be  taken  out  and  distributed,  and,  last  and  chiefest,  the 
high  value  which  this  succulent  food  possesses,  —  taking  these  and 
other  minor  advantages  into  account,  it  is  safe  to  predict  a  new  era 
in  agriculture,  destined  to  produce  changes  which  no  one  can  fore- 
tell. The  importance  of  the  subject  cannot  be  over-estimated  ;  and, 
if  you  can  throw  light  upon  it,  3*ou  will  be  a  public  benefactor. 

Yours  very  truly, 

W.  C.  STRONG. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


REPORT  FROM 


NASHUA,  N.H. 


LAST  summer  Hon.  Charles  Williams  built  a  silo,  and  filled  it  with 
green  corn-fodder.  The  silo  is  twenty  feet  long,  nine  feet  wide,  and 
thirteen  feet  deep,  and  will  hold  about  fifty-eight  tons.  It  is  built  of 
cement  and  stone,  the  interior  sides  being  perfectly  smooth  and  per- 


REPORT  OF  DR.    W.   H.    TANNER.  105 

pendicular,  and  cost  about  a  hundred  and  forty- four  dollars,  besides 
the  labor  of  excavation.  The  silo  was  filled  last  summer  by  Mr. 
Williams,  with  green  corn- fodder  cut  into  pieces  about  half  an  inch 
long.  It  was  covered  over  with  close-fitting  plank  nine  feet  long,  and 
weighted  down  with  pig-iron.  Mr.  Williams  did  not  use  any  straw 
on  top  or  under  the  planks.  He  used  a  Daniels  cutter  made  at  Wood- 
stock, Vt. ,  to  chop  up  the  feed  ;  the  cutter  being  operated  in  the 
building  over  the  silo,  and  the  power  communicated  by  a  belt  from 
his  engine. 

Mr.  Williams  began  to  feed  from  his  silo  on  the  1st  of  November 
last.  The  ensilage  was  found  to  be  slightly  acid,  and  alcoholic  fer- 
mentation had  taken  place  to  a  certain  extent.  His  horses  showed  no 
great  liking  for  it,  but  would  eat  it  readily  when  mixed  with  meal. 
His  cows  took  to  it  with  great  relish,  and  immediately  began  to 
increase  their  milk,  which  he  claims  was  improved  in  quality  as  well 
as  quantity.  In  addition  to  the  ensilage,  the  cows  were  fed  about  six 
quarts  of  shorts  a  day  throughout  November,  and  grew  fat,  and 
looked  neatly.  For  hogs  and  poultry  Mr.  Williams  thinks  this  kind 
of  fodder  is  unsurpassed  ;  and  for  milch  cows  he  regards  it  far  better 
than  any  crop  of  roots  or  corn,  both  of  which  he  has  tried.  The 
ensilage  settled  about  two  feet. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


REPORT  OF 


XDIR,.    "VST.    HI. 

AMENIA,   DUTCHESS  CO.,  N.Y. 


DR.  TANNER  built  his  silo  thirty-five  feet  long,  fifteen  feet  wide, 
twenty  feet  deep.  There  were  twelve  acres  of  corn  sowed  for  ensi- 
lage, of  the  horse-tooth  variety.  His  silo  is  placed  against  the  barn. 
The  barn  is  large  and  well-equipped,  broad  stalls  for  about  seventy 
cows.  The  silo  was  filled  within  three  feet  of  the  top.  The  ensilage 


106  H.    K.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

settled  about  three  feet.  When  the  silo  was  opened,  the  ensilage  was  in 
a  perfect  state  of  preservation  ;  and  his  success  in  feeding  cattle,  and 
the  increased  quantity  of  milk,  is  the  same  as  others,  and  very  pleasing 
to  the  doctor.  He  will  build  more  stables  another  year,  keep  more 
cattle,  and  make  more  room  for  ensilage.  As  the  doctor  says,  "Ensi- 
lage with  me  is  a  success  in  every  particular.  The  more  I  feed,  the 
more  I  am  pleased.  It  is  only  a  question  of  a  little  time  about  farmers 
all  building  silos.  They  must  do  so,  or  starve.  I  am  feeding  a  hun- 
dred cows  two  feeds  a  day,  with  the  best  results." 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 


TH:O:M:.A_S, 

OF  VERMONT, 


Says  he  raised  several  acres  of  corn  the  past  season,  and  built  a  silo 
of  stone,  forty  feet  in  length,  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  the  same  in 
height.  The  walls  were  heavy,  and  laid  in  cement :  the  bottom  and 
sides  were  plastered  with  cement  also.  He  commenced  in  September 
to  cut  up  the  fodder  with  a  Baldwin  No.  18  fodder-cutter,  which 
makes  it  very  fine,  driven  with  horse-power.  Thinks  he  could  cut, 
and  put  in  the  silo,  cheaper  than  to  bind  in  the  field,  and,  when  dry, 
draw  to  the  barn.  This  fodder  kept  finely,  and  was  liked  by  all  his 
stock,  including  the  pigs.  He  is  sanguine  he  can  raise  corn  and  beef 
cheaper  than  it  can  be  produced  at  the  West,  and  brought  here ; 
thinks  two  tons  of  the  ensilage  will  be  worth  one  of  hay ;  is  satisfied 
that  this  preserved  fodder  will  keep  the  year  around  ;  would  raise 
two  crops  on  the  land  if  possible,  —  one  of  winter  rye,  and  one  of 
corn,  —  and  ensilage  both  ;  believes,  if  well  kept,  as  good  milk  will 
be  obtained  in  winter  as  in  summer,  if  some  grain  is  fed  in  connec- 
tion. He  prefers  cotton-seed  meal  for  this  purpose.  Such  a  silo  as 
he  built  would  not  cost  two  hundred  dollars.  Feeds  about  fifty 
pounds  of  this  to  a  cow,  a  day. 


REPORT  OF  HON.   J.  B.   BODWELL.  107 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


REPORT  FROM 


HOIST.    J\    IB. 

PINE  GKOVE  FARM,   HALLOWELL,   ME. 


WE  visited  Pine  Grove  Farm,  Hallowell,  to  examine  the  ensilage 
now  being  taken  from  Mr.  Boclwell's  silo.  About  sixty-five  tons  of 
corn-fodder  were  put  into  this  silo  last  summer,  and  all  the  rules  laid 
down  by  those  who  had  experimented  with  it  carefully  observed. 
Nearly  half  of  this  amount  has  already  been  fed  out,  and  a  daily  feed 
is  now  given  to  each  of  the  cattle  and  sheep.  They  eat  it  well,  and 
thrive  upon  it.  When  this  food  was  first  given,  the  daily  feed  of 
corn-meal  was  reduced  one  quart,  and  this  has  been  followed  since ; 
and  the  cattle  thrive  better  than  with  the  full  feed  of  corn-meal.  Mr. 
Bodwell,  by  his  experiment,  has  settled  three  points  in  his  own  mind 
with  regard  to  the  ensilage  of  green  fodder:  viz.,  that  the  fodder  cap 
be  preserved  in  the  silo,  that  cattle  and  other  animals  eat  it  with  ap- 
parent relish,  and  that  they  thrive  upon  it.  He  noticed  in  the  milch 
cows  a  marked  increase  in  the  flow  of  milk  soon  after  the  feeding  of 
ensilage  was  commenced.  Mr.  Bodwell  has  preferred  to  build  a  silo 
that  will  last  for  all  time.  A  temporary  silo,  one  that  will  answer  for 
a  season  or  two,  can  be  very  cheaply  built. 


108  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


REPORT  OF 


-    E.    ID. 
FITCHBURG,   MASS. 


LAST  year  I  planted  about  an  acre,  and  ensilaged  it  in  August.  I 
procured  a  Baldwin  cutter,  which  cut  fodder  seven-eighths  of  an  inch 
long,  and  put  in  about  twenty-five  tons.  I  covered  the  fodder  with 
straw,  and  then  with  plank,  and  weighted  it  with  stones.  A  few  days 
later  a  slight  odor  was  perceptible,  which  continued  four  or  five  weeks. 
I  took  out  a  specimen  at  cattle-show,  found  it  keeping  well.  I  com- 
menced feeding,  the  2d  of  December,  and  have  enough  to  last  till 
March.  Cattle  do  very  well  on  it ;  better  than  on  hay.  The  ensilage 
should  be  put  in  hard.  Stone  and  cement  should  be  used  in  con- 
structing silos.  The  walls  should  be  sixteen  inches  thick.  I  am 
intending  to  put  in  ensilage  enough  to  fill  my  barn  with  cattle.  I  can 
raise  ensilage  at  two  dollars  per  ton.  I  would  build  the  silo  under 
my  barn  if  convenient.  I  think  ensilage  will  take  the  front  rank  as 
feed.  I  have  made  a  failure  of  curing  corn-fodder,  and  feeding  it  to 
stock.  My  cattle  did  not  eat  ensilage  readily  at  first,  but  in  a  few 
days  some  of  my  cows  would  leave  hay  and  rowen  to  eat  ensilage. 
If  I  had  a  supply,  I  would  feed  seven-eighths  ensilage,  and  would 
prefer  all  ensilage  to  all  hay.  Clover,  Hungarian,  and  other  grasses 
can  be  used  for  ensilage,  but  I  should  not  ensilage  good  English  hay. 
I  took  a  piece  of  grass-land,  ploughed  it,  put  on  twelve  loads  of 
manure  and  half  a  barrel  of  phosphate,  and  sowed  corn  in  rows.  It 
grew  so  fast,  and  shaded  the  ground  so,  I  was  not  troubled  with 
weeds  ;  did  not  touch  the  crop  till  I  harvested  it.  I  should  sow  the 
seed  five  or  six  inches  apart,  let  it  grow  as  large  as  it  will ;  should 
sow  from  first  of  June  till  July  ;  the  early  part  of  July  is  early  enough 
if  the  land  is  rich. 


REPORT  FROM  COL.   R.   H.   DULANEY.  109 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


REPORT  FROM 


COL.    •&,.    HI. 

OF   LOUDOUN  COUNTY,   MARYLAND. 
(FROM  SOUTHERN  PLANTER  AND  FARMER.) 


I  PREPARED  fifteen  acres  of  sod-land,  by  top-dressing  it  with  all  the 
manure  from  the  cellar  of  my  cattle-barn,  where  I  had  fed  eighty-two 
cattle  and  twelve  horses  four  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  corn, 
besides  their  long  food,  during  the  winter.  After  the  land  was 
ploughed,  and  thoroughly  harrowed  and  rolled,  I  drilled  in  three 
bushels  of  corn  and  four  hundred  pounds  of  bone  to  the  acre.  By 
stopping  alternate  tubes  of  the  drill,  the  rows  were  eighteen  inches 
apart,  and  there  were  from  eight  to  twelve  to  the  foot  in  the  row.  I 
had  intended  to  plough  this  crop  three  times  ;  but  after  one  ploughing 
with  single-shovel  plough  there  came  several  hours  of  rain,  after  which 
the  corn  grew  so  rapidly  that  it  soon  met  across  the  row,  and  could 
not  be  ploughed  again.  I  dug  a  pit  seventy-eight  feet  long,  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  twelve  feet  deep,  and  lined  it  with  a  two-foot  stone 
wall,  which  was  continued  for  three  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
cemented  the  sides  and  bottom. 

I  should  have  cut  the  corn,  which  was  the  heaviest  I  ever  saw,  as 
soon  as  the  ears  began  to  form  ;  but  had  to  wait  until  I  finished  the 
pit. 

When  I  commenced,  some  of  the  corn  was  too  old  for  roasting- 
ears,  and  the  blades  near  the  ground  had  lost  their  green  color.  The 
field  was  four  hundred  yards  from  the  pit.  It  required  three  and 
sometimes  four  first-rate  hands  to  cut  the  corn  ;  two  ox-carts  and 
one  four-horse  wagon,  with  an  extra  hand  to  assist  the  drivers  to 
load,  to  haul  the  corn,  which  was  being  cut  up  into  five-eighth-inch 
pieces,  by  two  eighteen-inch  cutting-boxes.  It  required  one  man  at 
each  box  to  feed,  and  two  men  to  keep  each  supplied  with  the 
fodder. 


110  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

The  boxes  were  at  the  side,  equally  distant  from  each  end  of  the 
pit,  and  driven  by  an  eight-horse  engine.  The  ensilage  was  kept 
equally  distributed  over  the  floor,  and  six  large  farm-horses  were 
ridden  over  it  from  ten  to  twelve,  and  from  five  to  seven  o'clock,  to 
pack  it.  As  the  horses  could  not  pack  that  against  the  walls,  and  at 
the  angles  at  the  ends,  that  had  to  be  trodden  down  by  the  men,  when 
the  engine  was  stopped. 

We  were  fourteen  days  with  fourteen  men  in  filling  the  pit  to  within 
three  feet  of  the  top.  I  then  ran  enough  straw  through  the  cutting- 
box  to  cover  the  whole  mass  three  inches  deep ;  then  covered  with 
two-inch  boards  laid  across  the  pit,  and  the  boards  with  stone  two 
feet  deep. 

On  the  10th  of  January  I  opened  the  pit  by  taking  off  six  feet  of 
stone  and  plank.  When  I  saw  the  straw  black  and  rotten,  I  feared 
that  the  prophecy  of  my  neighbors,  "that  I  would  have  an  immense 
quantity  of  rotten  fodder  to  haul  out  in  the  spring,"  had  been  fulfilled. 
But,  on  getting  to  the  fodder,  I  found  only  an  inch  deep  a  little 
moulded,  and  all  the  rest,  except  in  the  angles  of  the  building,  and 
against  a  part  of  the  wall  (from  which  the  cement  had  fallen),  in 
perfect  order.  Eighty-two  cattle  are  eating  with  great  relish  thirty- 
seven  pounds  each  day,  and  two  hundred  ewes  one  and  a  half  pounds 
each. 

I  have  now  fed  for  three  weeks,  and  have  only  used  about  one-sixth 
of  the  ensilage.  At  this  rate  it  will  keep  my  cattle  and  sheep  until 
April  20,  at  which  time  I  usually  turn  on  grass.  From  a  flock  of 
one  hundred  sheep  t*«t  have  been  fed  on  ensilage  since  the  pit  was 
opened,  I  have  lost  but  one  ;  whilst  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  fed 
on  corn,  straw,  and  fodder,  I  lost  thirty  in  two  weeks.  These  ewes 
were  heavy  with  lambs,  and  the  change  from  grass  to  entirely  dry 
food  caused  constipation,  and  that,  inflammation,  which  caused  their 
death.  For  the  last  week  I  have  been  feeding  most  of  my  sheep  on 
ensilage  ;  and,  except  some  that  were  sick  when  I  commenced,  I  have 
lost  none. 

The  fifteen  acres  of  ensilaged  corn  would  have  fed  eighty  cattle 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  clays,  the  usual  length  of  our  winter, 
with  the  addition  of  one  gallon  of  corn  a  day  to  each  steer.  If 
fifty  cubic  feet  make  a  ton,  then  I  had  two  hundred  and  eighty-three 
tons,  which  cost  to  cut,  haul,  and  pack  away,  two  hundred  dollars,  — 
less  than  one  dollar  a  ton. 


THE    VALUE   OF  GREEN   FORAGE   CROPS.  Ill 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 


:M:.A.:D.A.:M::E] 

THE  WELL-KNOWN  TEACHER  AND  SINGER, 

says,  "I  am  well  pleased  with  the  result  of  my  little  silo.  All  my 
cattle  eat  ensilage  with  great  relish,  leaving  good  English  hay  for  the 
ensilage  maize.  The  quality  and  quantity  of  milk  have  improved 
since  the  cows  have  been  fed  on  ensilage." 


CHAPTER    XXXIIL 


IE. 

AN  EXTENSIVE  FARMER  OF  BERKSHIRE  COUNTY, 

says,  "I  have  never  seen  a  cow  eat  the  best  of  hay  when  offered 
ensilage :  it  is  always  ensilage  first,  and  hay  afterward.  It  is  the 
most  profitable  investment  I  ever  made,  and  there  is  no  reason  why 
thousands  of  farmers  may  not  make  it  as  profitable  as  I  have." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  FEEDING   OF  STOCK. 

EACH  and  every  farmer  has  his  own  mind  and  way  of  feeding  stock 
upon  the  farm.  Some  feed  with  hay  and  shorts,  some  with  hay  and 
corn-meal ;  some  hay,  meal,  and  shorts  ;  and  others  hay,  roots,  and 


112  H.   E.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

grains,  etc.  Have  you  ever  tried  the  cutting  of  the  dry  fodder  by 
running  through  a  fodder- cutter,  cutting  it  into  short  pieces  ?  Wet 
the  dry  fodder  enough  to  moisten,  take  enough  for  one  day's  feed, 
mix  this  evenly  with  the  kind  and  quantity  of  grain  you  use,  and 
feed ;  if  it  stands  several  hours  before  feeding,  your  cattle  will  like 
it  all  the  better.  By  this  way  of  feeding  you  will  save  fifteen  per 
cent  of  dry  fodder,  and  those  who  have  tried  it  say  a  larger  per  cent. 
If  you  are  feeding  on  ensilage  in  part,  and  wish  part  dry  fodder,  cut 
in  short  pieces,  mix  ensilage,  cut  fodder,  and  required  quantity  of 
grain ;  this  makes  a  good  feed.  Sixty  pounds  ensilage  from  corn- 
fodder,  or  forty-five  pounds  of  clover  ensilaged,  is  good  feed  for  one 
cow  per  day.  This  quantity  is  a  fair  average.  These  quantities  will 
keep  a  cow  in  good  condition,  with  an  increased  flow  of  milk,  with 
better  health  than  when  fed  on  hay.  With  six  quarts  shorts  and 
sixty  pounds  of  ensilage  per  day,  your  cows  will  gain  flesh,  and  do 
better  than  when  fed  on  ensilage  alone ;  add  to  this  feed  one  quart 
of  corn-meal,  —  you  get  a  good  feed  ;  and  I  think  this  quantity  of 
grain  with  ensilage  is  not  only  the  most  economical,  but  is  better  for 
cows  than  to  feed  a  larger  quantity.  To  fatten  cattle,  sixty  pounds 
ensilage  (more  or  less  as  they  eat  up  clean) ,  with  four  pounds  corn- 
meal  per  day,  will  rapidly  fatten  them.  I  believe  corn-fodder  ensi- 
lage fed  with  clover,  rowen,  or  any  of  our  grasses  ensilaged,  is  a 
better  and  more  natural  food  for  our  stock  than  the  corn  ensilage 
alone. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

«r 

ENSILAGE  FOR  POULTRY. 

THE  feeding  of  ensilage  to  poultry  is  eaten  and  relished  as  well  as 
when  fed  to  horses,  cows,  and  pigs,  and,  by  various  experiments,  has 
proved  to  be  as  nutritious  for  poultry  as  for  cows.  When  ensilage  is 
fed  to  poultry  they  not  only  eat  it  greedily,  but  it  makes  them  smart 
and  active  :  have  a  healthy  look  and  a  fine  bright  plumage,  which  is  a 
sure  indication  of  good  health.  During  the  winter  season  ensilage, 
when  fed  to  poultry,  mixing  with  it  a  proportional  part  of  shorts  or 
corn-meal,  will  increase  the  laying  of  eggs,  and  fatten  them  very 


ENSILAGE  FOR  POULTRY.  113 

readily.  As  ensilage  and  corn-meal  fatten  cattle,  so  with  poultry 
they  lay  on  fat  very  readily. 

Experiments  tried  prove  that  poultry  fed  on  ensilage,  with  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  grain,  will  do  better  in  every  particular  than  when 
fed  in  the  old  way  upon  grains,  at  one-fourth  the  cost,  or  at  a  saving 
of  about  seventy-five  per  cent.  One  hundred  fowls,  take  them  as 
they  run,  large  and  small,  will  cost,  to  feed  them  one  year,  about  one 
hundred  dollars.  To  feed  the  same  on  ensilage  and  the  required 
qiuintlty  of  grain  would  cost  not  to  exceed  twenty-five  dollars.  Ensi- 
lage alone  is  self-sustaining :  the  poultry  will  do  well  and  lay  well. 
To  feed  on  ensilage  alone  would  cost  about  fourteen  dollars  ;  and  to 
add  to  this  shorts,  corn-meal,  buckwheat  mixed  with  the  ensilage, 
occasionally  scraps,  plenty  of  gravel,  ashes,  etc.,  they  will  do  better 
than  by  any  known  way  of  feeding.  One  hundred  fowls  should  pro- 
duce, at  a  low  estimate,  eight  hundred  and  thirty-three  dozen  eggs 
in  one  year,  besides  laying  eggs  to  set  about  thirty  hens.  These 
eight  hundred  and  thirty-three  dozen  eggs  at  twenty  cents  per  dozen 
would  equal  $166.60,  and,  by  fair  success,  should  raise  a  hundred 
and  fifty  chickens.  The  reason  I  discuss  this  subject,  poultry,  is  to 
show  that  hundreds  of  mechanics,  laborers,  etc.,  who  are  owners  of 
a  small  house,  with  an  acre  or  two  of  land,  by  properly  preparing  an 
acre  of  land,  and  planting  it  to  corn  for  ensilage,  can  raise  twenty- 
five  tons  to  the  acre  ;  average  cost  would  be  about  two  dollars  per 
ton  in  the  silo ;  can  build  a  small  silo,  not  to  cost  over  twenty-five 
to  forty  dollars,  and  less  than  that  if  they  can  do  the  work  them- 
selves ;  fill  this  silo  with  the  ensilage.  You  can  keep  a  cow  the  year 
round  on  ten  to  twelve  tons  of  ensilage,  or,  if  fed  with  some  hay  or 
grain,  less  ensilage.  With  the  balance  of  the  twenty-five  tons  you 
can  keep  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  fowls.  Turkeys, 
geese,  and  ducks  are  greedy  for  ensilage. 

Practical  experiments  prove  these  results ;  and,  for  a  small  invest- 
ment, I  know  of  no  investment  that  will  surely  bring  such  good 
results. 


114  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 


CORRESPONDENCE  FROM 


IPIROIFIESSOIR,    0".    IMI. 

KNOXVILLE,  TENN.,  FEB.  12,  1881 


DEAR  SIR. 

I  send  you  the  results  of  my  first  month's  experiments  in  feeding. 
I  regret  those  with  the  milch  cows  are  not  yet  determined.  I  think 
the  results  speak  well  for  the  new  food. 

The  first  set  (I.)  will  be  continued  this  month,  and  I  think  with 
better  results,  as  all  the  loss  occurred  in  the  first  part,  during  the 
change  from  dry  to  green  food.  Notwithstanding  the  loss  of  weight, 
the  animals  are  sleek  and  healthy  looking,  and  with  hearty  appetites. 
This  month  I  am  allowing  them  as  much  as  they  wrill  eat  of 
ensilage. 

Sets  4  and  5  were  not  only  designed  to  test  the  relative  values  of 
hay  (good  timothy  and  clover  mixed)  and  ensilage,  but  also  those 
of  corn,  cotton  seed,  and  rice-corn  meal.  This  rice,  or  Egyptian 
corn,  is  the  cereal  attracting  so  much  attention  in  Kansas.  It  is 
really  the  Dhoura,  a  variety  of  Sorghum  vulgare.  The  animal  fed 
on  it  in  Set  4,  No.  2,  gave  the  best  results  of  any  in  the  set ;  No. 
10,  in  Set  5,  the  worst  in  its  set  (5). 

All  kinds  of  stock  are  exceedingly  fond  of  it ;  and  I  have  no  hesi- 
tation, not  only  from  these  experiments,  but  from  my  general  expe- 
rience with  it,  in  pronouncing  it  fully  equal  in  feeding  value  to 
Indian  corn. 


EXPERIMENTS   IN   CATTLE-FEEDING. 


115 


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116  H.   R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

Animals  used  in  experiments,  the  stock  ones  of  farm.  Ages  in 
last  four  sets  varying  from  one  to  three  years  ;  also  some  difference 
in  blood,  —  majority  short-horn  or  Devon  grades.  In  Set  1,  animals 
stabled  all  the  time,  all  others  allowed  to  run  out  during  day.  No. 
14  greatly  in  favor  of  ensilage,  as  showing  its  milk-producing  quali- 
ties :  cow  not  only  came  back  to  her  milk,  but  gave  a  good  flow  during 
its  continuance.  Bull  No.  16  was  an  animal  singularly  savage  and 
unprofitable  ;  we  have  been  anxious  to  get  rid  of  him  for  some  time. 
With  these  allowances,  and  the  further  facts,  that,  for  the  first  week, 
the  animals  ate  the  ensilage  freely,  but  not  as  greedily  as  afterwards  ; 
that  they  were  (as  will  always  be  the  case  in  changing  from  dry  to 
green  food)  scoured  for  three  or  four  days  ;  that  the  month  was  the 
coldest  ever  known,  and  that  all  the  loss  was  in  the  first  ten  days  ; 
that  No.  9  virtually  held  her  own,  —  the  experiments  even  of  this  set 
are  favorable  to  ensilage.  Still  if  one  wishes  to  do  more-  than 
merely  "maintain"  his  animals,  the  ensilage  must  be  enriched  (as 
I  hold)  by  albuminous  food.  Hence,  if  due  allowance  be  made  for 
previous  treatment  of  Nos.  1  and  4,  Set  II.  gave  better  results,  as 
these  two  animals  did  not  eat  more  than  one-half  of  the  rations 
allowed  them.  In  Set  III.,  Nos.  12  and  13  more  than  doubled 
No.  7 ;  the  difference  in  favor  of  this  set  over  II.  showing  the 
value  of  albuminous  matters.  Set  V.  compared  with  IV.  again  gives 
results  decidedly  in  favor  of  ensilage ;  No.  8  more  than  doubling- 
No.  3,  and  No.  11,  No.  5.  No.  10  was  a  grade  Devon;  No.  2  a 
grade  short-horn  ;  hence  the  latter  had  the  advantage  of  blood.  The 
results  on  the  whole  are  very  favorable  to  ensilage. 

Wishing  abundant  success  to  your  new  work,  I  am 
Yours  respectfully, 

J0    M.    M'BRYDE. 


CHAPTEE    XXXVII. 

FROM  CHARLES  L.  FLINTS  BOOK  ON  GRASSES  AND  FORAGE-PLANTS 
(A   VALUABLE  AND  INSTRUCTIVE   WORK), 

RED  CLOVER  (  Trifolium  pratense) ,  though  not  included  in  the  family 
of  grasses,  is  not  only  extensively  cultivated,  but  is  found  to  be  one 
of  the  most  valuable  and  economical  forage-plants.  It  belongs  to 


GRASSES  AND  FORAGE-PLANTS. 


117 


the  pulse-family,  or  Leguminosae,  which  includes  the  larger  portion 
of  forage-plants  called  "artificial  grasses,"  in  distinction  from  the 
Gramineae,  the  only  true,  and  often  called  the  "natural,"  grasses. 
The  generic  name  trefoil,  or  trifolium,  is  derived  from  the  Latin 
"  tres"  (three)  and  "folium"  (a  leaf)  ;  and  the  genus  can  be  very 
readily  distinguished  by  the  number  and  arrangement  of  its  leaves  in 
three  leaflets,  and  flowers  in  dense  oblong  or  globular  heads. 

The  stems  of  red  clover  are  ascending,  somewhat  hairy  ;  leaflets  oval 
or  obovate,  often  notched  at  the  end,  and  marked  on  the  upper  side 
with  a  pale  spot ;  heads  ovate,  and  set  directly  upon  the  stalk,  instead 
of  upon  branches.  This  species  is  regarded  as  by  far  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  whole  genus  for  the  practical  purposes  of  agriculture. 
It  has  passed  into  a  number  of  varieties,  one  of  which  is  biennial, 
another  perennial ;  the  latter  by  long  cultivation 
becoming  biennial,  while  the  former,  as  is  true 
of  most  biennial  and  many  annual  plants,  as- 
sumes, to  some  extent,  the  character  of  a  peren- 
nial, and  can  be  made  to  last  three  or  four 
years,  or  even  more,  by  simply  preventing  it 
from  running  to  seed.  The  introduction  of 
clover  into  England,  it  is  often  said,  produced 
an  entire  revolution  in  her  agriculture ;  and, 
indeed,  when  we  consider  how  important  a  part 
it  plays  in  our  system  of  farming,  we  can  with 
difficulty  imagine  how  our  ancestors  ever  got 
on  at  all  in  farming  without  it.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  it  is  certain  that  it  led  to  many  of  the 
most  important  improvements  in  the  rotation  of  crops.  Clover  is 
very  properly  regarded  as  a  fertilizer  of  the  soil.  The  action  of 
its  long  and  powerful  tap-roots  is  not  only  mechanical,  loosening 
the  soil,  and  admitting  the  air,  but  also  chemical,  serving  to  fix 
the  gases  important  to  enrich  the  earth ;  and  when  these  roots 
decay,  they  add  largely  to  that  black  mass  of  matter  we  call  soil.  Jt 
serves  also,  by  its  luxuriant  foliage,  to  destroy  annual  weeds  which 
would  spring  up  on  newly-seeded  land,  especially  after  imperfect  cul- 
tivation. But  one  of  the  most  valuable  uses  of  it,  and  one  too  often 
overlooked,  is  to  shade  the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  thereby  increase 
its  fertility. 

Another  great  advantage  in  favor  of  the  cultivation  of  clover  con- 
sists in  its  rapid  growth.     But  a  few  months  elapse  from  the  sowing 


RED   CLOVER. 


118 


H    R.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 


of  the  seed  before  it  yields,  ordinarily,  an  abundant  and  nutritious 
crop  relished  by  cattle  of  all  kinds. 

Clover-seed  should  always  be  sown  in  the  spring  of  the  year  in  the 

climate  of  New  England.  It  is  often 
sown  upon  the  late  snows  of  March 
or  April,  and  soon  finds  its  way  down 
to  the  soil,  where,  aided  by  the  moist- 
ure of  early  spring,  it  quickly  germi- 
nates, and  rapidly  shoots  up  its  leaf- 
stalks. 

Hungarian  grass,  Hungarian  millet 
(Panicum    Germanicum) ,    has    been 
cultivated  to  con- 
siderable extent  in 
this  country  from 
seed     received 
from     France 
through      the 
United-States 
Patent  Office. 

It  is  an  annual 
forage  plant,  in- 
troduced into 
France  in  1815, 
where  its  cultiva- 
tion has  become 
considerably  ex- 
tended. It  ger- 
minates readily, 
withstands  the 

drought  remarkably,  remaining  green  even  when 
other  vegetation  is  parched  up  ;  and,  if  its  devel- 
opment is  arrested  by  dry  weather,  the  least  rain 
will  restore  it  to  vigor.  It  has  numerous  succu- 
lent leaves,  which  furnish  an  abundance  of  green 
fodder,  very  much  relished  by  all  kinds  of  stock. 
It  flourishes  in  somewhat  light  and  dry  soils, 
though  it  attains  its  greatest  luxuriance  in  soils 
of  medium  consistency,  and  well  manured.  It  may  be  sown  broad- 
cast, and  cultivated  precisely  like  the  varieties  of  millet.  This  grass 


HUNGARIAN   GRASS. 


COMMON    MILLET. 


GRASSES  AND  FORAGE-PLANTS.  119 

is  thought  to  contain  a  somewhat  higher  percentage  of  nutriment 
than  the  common  millet,  though  I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  been 
analyzed.  It  is  a  leafy  plant,  and  remains  green  until  its  seed  ma- 
tures, and  is  no  doubt  valuable  for  fodder,  both  green  and  dry,  growing 
and  maturing  in  about  the  same  time  as  common  millet.  From  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  bushels  of  seed  to  the  acre  have  been  obtained. 

Common  millet  (Panicum  miliaceum),  flowers  in  large,  open, 
nodding  panicles ;  leaves  lance-shaped,  broad ;  stem  one  to  two  feet 
high  ;  native  of  Turkey. 

Many  varieties  of  millet  have  at  times  been  cultivated  in  this 
country,  and  its  culture  is  gaining  favor  every  year.  Millet  is  one 
of  the  best  crops  we  have  for  cutting  and  feeding  green  for  soiling 
purposes,  since  its  yield  is  large,  its  luxuriant  leaves  juicy  and  tender, 
and  much  relished  by  milch  cows  and  other  stock.  Cut  in  the 
blossom,  as  it  should  be  for  feeding  to  cattle,  the  seed  is  compara- 
tively valueless.  If  allowed  to  ripen  its  seed,  the  stalk  is  no  more 
nutritious,  probably,  than  oat-straw. 

Millet  requires  good  soil,  and  is  rather  an  exhausting  crop,  but 
yields  a  produce  valuable  in  proportion  to  the  richness  of  the  soil, 
and  care  and  expense  of  cultivation. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

PREMIUMS  OFFERED  BY  H.  R.  STEVENS. 

I  WILL  give  to  the  party  who  raises  the  greatest  number  of  tons  of 
fodder-corn  per  acre,  not  less  than  one  acre,  from  seed  planted 
called  Blnnt's  Prolific,  one  hundred  dollars  in  cash  ;  to  the  party 
who  raises  the  next  in  quantity,  fifty  dollars  in  cash  ;  to  the  party 
who  raises  the  next  in  quantity,  twenty-five  dollars  in  cash,  — 
making  three  premiums.  First,  one  hundred  dollars  ;  second,  fifty 
dollars  ;  third,  twenty- five  dollars. 

The  kind  of  corn  planted  to  compete  for  these  premiums  must  be 
"  Blunt's  Prolific."  These  premiums  are  offered  to  any  or  all 
parties  in  the  New  England  States.  Mr.  J.  J.  H.  Gregory,  the  seed 
man  of  the  United  States,  says,  "  there  is  no  better  corn  to  plant  for 
fodder- corn  than  Blunt*  s  Prolific."  Blank  certificates,  with  conditions 
to  compete  for  the  three  premiums  offered  by  me,  will  be  furnished 
upon  application.  Address, 

H,  R,  STEVENS, 

Boston,  Mass 


120  H.   JS.    STEVENS   ON  ENSILAGE. 

CONCLUSION. 

IN  conclusion,  I  think  the  reader  will  say  I  have  given  in  this  work 
all  I  promised  in  the  introduction,  the  practical  experience  of  practi- 
cal farmers  with  silos  and  ensilage,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  it  is 
the  practical  information  the  farmers  want,  that  will  give  practical 
results  with  profit  for  their  labor.  Is  there  any  doubt  of  the  success 
of  preserving  our  green  forage  crops  by  ensilage?  There  is  no 
doubt !  Then  I  think  I  have  shown  the  success  is  a  profitable  one. 
When  the  farmer  with  one  silo  to-day  says,  "  I  must  build  larger, 
I  must  have  two  or  three  additional  silos  the  coming  year,"  it  is 
practical  proof  that  it  is  a  success,  and  a  profitable  one.  Farmers 
are  not  apt  to  be  very  enthusiastic  over  their  labors  unless  there  are 
some  profits.  I  must  say  I  have  never  seen  so  much  enthusiasm 
shown  as  expressed  by  those  who  have  built  silos  for  ensilage. 
When  a  farmer  says,  "  I  have  saved  more  money  the  past  year  than 
I  have  for  twenty  years,"  it  does  seem  as  though  the  golden  harvest 
is  to  be  reaped  by  the  farmer ;  and,  for  one,  I  think  it  is  the  farmer's 
turn  to  meet  with  this  success.  Who  can  foretell  the  results  when, 
in  less  than  five  years,  there  will  be  thousands  of  silos  in  the  United 
States,  whereas  to-day  there  are  about  forty-three?  Does  it  not 
seem  as  though  a  new  interest  was  awakening  among  our  New-Eng- 
land farmers?  Has  not  the  time  arrived  when  our  deserted  farms 
will  all  be  wanted,  and  will  be  cultivated?  Is  there  not  a  bonanza  in 
the  farms  with  this  new  enterprise  ?  Will  it  not  give  the  farmer  such 
profits,  with  less  labor,  as  will  enable  him  to  be  more  independent? 
Is  it  not  going  to  create  new  interest  with  our  sons  when  they  can 
find  a  more  profitable  employment,  with  less  hard  labor,  than  can  be 
found  in  any  business  in  our  cities?  This  enterprise  will  create  a 
new  interest  in  farming :  it  will  increase  our  stock  in  such  large 
numbers,  our  farms  will  be  enriched,  the  soil  more  productive,  crops 
increased ;  and  with  the  great  labor-saving,  improved,  agricultural 
implements,  instead  of  millions  of  New-England  money  going  West 
to  purchase  grain  for  our  farmers,  with  our  enriched  farms,  we 
should  raise  all  the  grain  we  consume  on  the  farm. 

Again,  with  the  increase  in  stock,  the  increase  in  productions  of 
beef,  butter,  cheese,  wool,  in  quality,  as  well  as  quantity.  With 
these  results,  instead  of  our  New-England  towns  decreasing  in  popu- 
lation, they  must  double  their  numbers.  These  results  can  be  ob- 
tained by  the  farmer  from  this  new  enterprise,  —  the  preserving  of  our 
green  forage  crops  by  ensilage. 


THIS   BOOK   IS   DUE   ON   THE   LAST   DATE 
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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-20m-8,'61(C1623s4)458 


2kl003 


Stevens,  H.R. 

On  ensilage  of  green 

f^^^rr^    f»r>r>r>fi    in    sllOS . 


Call  Number: 

SB195 


SB)35 
575 


241003 


